There is no such thing as a long piece of work, except one that you dare not start. Charles Baudelaire
A short piece of work means as much to me as a long piece of work. Harold Pinter
What is clear should not be drawn out too much. These useless explanations, these endless examinations are a kind of long whiteness and lead to boredom. It is the uniformity of a wall, of a long piece of laundry. Joseph Joubert
In order for a long piece of work to engage a novelist over an extended period of time, it has to deal with questions that you find very important, that you're trying to work out. Donna Tartt