I don't know if make a conscious effort to vary the characters and subjects that I write about, but I do find myself keeping track of ideas that come along, as probably most writers do, and whatever seems most interesting to me when I flip through my notes before I begin a new story is usually what I will try to write about next.

One thing the passage of time has shown me is that you never know how you'll behave in a situation until you're in that situation yourself.

Unless I'm writing trying to write about a historical figure, I don't really set out to read or research with a specific topic in mind.

Sometimes I do work on a longer manuscript in tandem with one or two shorter pieces - whether it's a short story or an essay (though I don't write many of the latter).

The effects of fame on the not-famous people who are close to a celebrity - this is definitely a topic that continues to interest me.

Thirty years ago, the Pandora's box of the Internet wasn't yet a fact of life, and celebrities inhabited a more remote, hard-to-reach plane.

Mostly what ends up inspiring me and affecting my work are books by authors that I love.