First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to re-form it.... The first draft of a book is the most uncertain-where you need guts, the ability to accept the imperfect until it is better.

Life is a tragedy full of joy.

Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go.

A writer is a spectator, looking at everything with a highly critical eye.

The great thing about writing: Stay with it ... ultimately you teach yourself something very important about yourself.

Children were strangers you loved because you could love. If they gave back love when they were grown you were ahead of the game.

Where to look if you've lost your mind?