Clifford Rabon

“[The previous sentence is a flagrant example of foreshadowing, a plot device that creates a pleasant anticipation in the reader. However, as the author, I feel the need to be honest with you, even at the cost of this intrusion, and I’m compelled to acknowledge that besides contributing to a building atmosphere of menace, Rebecca’s “disturbing feeling” also serves as an effective way to end Chapter One before it grows too long. Studies indicate that modern readers prefer shorter chapters. Before purchasing a novel, they conduct a “flip-through” to sample the prose, consider the readability of the typeface, and be sure the number of chapters promises a quick read.”
― Dean Koontz, Going Home in the Dark

“If we want to end the war for real, we have to change hearts, not maps.”
― Brandon Sanderson, Wind and Truth

“There is no need to trust someone who couldn’t hurt you,”
― Brandon Sanderson, Wind and Truth

“Although it is standard practice in these violent times for authors to kill major characters early in—as well as all the way through—a novel, merely for the shock value, this is not that kind of story, nor is the storyteller in this case cavalier about the value of human life. Of course, the storyteller reserves the right to kill off characters much later in the book, if the logic of the plot and the emotional payoff for readers justify it, or if the storyteller finds one or more characters annoying.”
― Dean Koontz, Going Home in the Dark