Do not take on a traditionally built person unless you are prepared for a heavyweight bout.

Ritual is a terribly important, binding cement in a society. If we abandon formality and rituals, we're actually weakening the relationships that exist between people that bind.

A life without stories would be no life at all. And stories bound us, did they not, one to another, the living to the dead, people to animals, people to the land?

My parents were very supportive and always encouraged us. My father was a gentle, nice man. My mother was quite a colourful character and a keen reader who encouraged me to write.

Writers obviously have to bear witness to the harsh face of the age.

If your ceiling should fall down, then you have lost a room, but gained a courtyard. Think of it that way.

As a writer, you have to realize that people want to like the characters, so you have to be careful to keep them involved.