Sometimes it's interesting to see what people who have too much control need to do to write freely.

I've been astonished how often, when I convince a writer to tell a story more straightforwardly and to tell it more simply and directly, it turns out that this author is great and the story is wonderful.

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

Teaching is very important to me, and it has become more important as I get older.

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.

I think that inevitably, the trouble our characters go through is a kind of metaphor for what's happening in ourselves.

Inevitably we start by thinking that if our work is any good, we'll get money. It's as we would if you started up a business or if you work in another profession.