I think the difference between writing as someone and writing for them is that when you write for someone, you take on a kind of political burden or message, which I don't think we have the right to do.

I love it when people can help me with my work, so I do show it.

Maybe we're stuck with who we are.

There is a lot of censorship about writing that's exerted from all directions, from families or governments and society, even the fear of being offensive in some way.

There's the belief that we can't be smart enough to write. And certainly censorship of women, too.

I don't have the courage not to write all the time.

I'm very secretive. I'll write a whole novel and revise it, which might take me two years or more, and the people I know best don't know what I'm writing about.