Plot and scene are still the hardest things for me, though I think they're the building blocks of what makes a story work.

If no one knows you, then you are no one.

In the end, there probably isn't much difference between being in love and acting like you're in love.

I have long admired Caroline Leavitt's probing insight into people, her wit and compassion, her ability to find humor in dark situations, and conversely, her tenderness towards characters.

Here is the door of my mom's house, well-remembered childhood portal. Here is the yard, and a set of wires that runs from the house to a wooden pole, and some fat birds sitting together on the wires, five of them lined up like beads on an abacus.

I start with an image, then I go from the image toward exploring the situation. Then I write a scene, and from the scene I find the character, from the character I find the larger plot. It's like deductive reasoning - I start with the smaller stuff and work backward.

There's a lot of effort expended once you begin to completely trash your life. Sometimes, writing feels like this to me.