I do outlines when I'm writing with someone, but they also need to have a certain amount of freedom

I'm 78, I'm on my pension in Ireland, and all that good stuff

My eyes are green, my hair is silver and I freckly; the rest is subject to change without notice.

James Blish told me I had the worst case of "said bookism" (that is, using every word except said to indicate dialogue). He told me to limit the verbs to said, replied, asked, and answered and only when absolutely necessary.

But Ship Who Sang remains my favorite story. I really rocked folks with that and still cannot read it aloud myself without weeping at the end

But I will say that living in Ireland has changed the cadence and fullness of speech, since the Irish love words and use as many of them in a sentence as possible

The blackest night must end in dawn, the light dispel the dreamer's fear.