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.

The main thing is to explain to yourself that everybody suffers.

Censorship is all around us, I don't think it's innate.

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.

When an editor first explained to me the difference between direct and indirect writing, I just thought it was a stylistic choice.

It's a scary thing for fiction writers, when you're always writing from the point of view both as and for someone who is different.

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