The most helpful....

[Paul Whybrow]

The most helpful quality a writer can cultivate is self-confidence—arrogance, if you can manage it. You write to impose yourself on the world, and you have to believe in your own ability when the world shows no sign of agreeing with you.

Hilary Mantel

 

[Jake E]

Ha ha ha ha.
Ha ha
Ha
*Sobs in imposter syndrome*

 

[Hannah F]

Hilary Mantel totally believed in her present tense narration of Wolf Hall. Publishers wouldn't publish it. "No," they said. Historical fiction must be written in the past tense. Hilary Mantel stuck to her belief that this was the best way to tell Thomas Cromwell's story, to get readers to sympathise with such a well-known and mostly despised character (much influenced by Holbein's portrait) . . .
And look what happened when she stuck to her guns!

(I have paraphrased Hilary's words from a talk I was lucky enough to attend. And lucky enough to have her sign my copy!)

 

[Vagabond Heart]

Arrogance? Bossing it.