Writing is a solitary occupation.

Madness ends sometimes. The Gods decree it, not man.

You'll call me damned Jew, a Christ murderer, a secret worshipper of pigs and a kidnapper of Christian children. How absurd! Who would want to kidnap children, Christian or otherwise? Vile things. The only mercy of children is that they grow up, as my son has but then, tragically, they beget more children. We do not learn life's lessons.

Of course some days are easier than others, but my worst day is better than being in most humdrum occupations.

Then you start another book and suddenly the galley proofs of the last one come in and you have to wrench your attention away from what you're writing and try to remember what you were thinking when you wrote the previous one.

Writing is a solitary occupation.

So far it's 43 books in 25 years.