You can't tell a writer they should just be more confident.

I heard a white writer say, 'Oh, I'd never put black people in my writing, I'm afraid I would offend someone by doing it wrong.' I can't bear that!

I find that I get very excited about what my students are up to and that I get to be the hurdle they need to jump over.

I think you have to remember that writing is hard; my first editor used to say that to me.

There seems to be a tremendous desire among many people now to know authors and how they work, to know what's autobiographical and what isn't.

Sometimes people want to know how to write a story from the point of view of a murderer and make her sympathetic. I think the answer is that you start by having her look for her car keys, because everybody knows what it's like.

You may be somebody who writes best for a small press that doesn't pay very well, but you might have a fascinating and intricate style that might not appeal to as many readers but will be incredibly meaningful to the readers you have. Truly, that's as wonderful if not more wonderful.