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 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 just like doing it, I like writing.

I think a day in your life on which nothing bad happens may be a wonderful day, but it probably isn't going to be the basis of a story.

Somehow we have to detach from feeling as though money is a quick and easy standard by which we can gauge how well we're doing.

I don't think a white person can write accurately and convincingly about what black people experience of oppression.