Something was wrong with a world where people came and went so easily.

Women were the ones that held the reins, it emerged.

... everyone must play his role.

No couple buying wedding rings wants to be reminded that someday one of them will have to accept the other one's ring from a nurse or an undertaker.

Not until the final draft do I force myself to remember that I'm going to have to think about how it will affect other people.

In real life I avoid all parties altogether, but on paper I can mingle with the best of them

I'll write maybe one long paragraph describing the events, then a page or two breaking the events into chapters, and then reams of pages delving into my characters. After that, I'm ready to begin