If there are too many cooks in the kitchen, the dish is not going to work out.

I taught myself to write in order to understand who I was and so yes, writing was an act of self-actualization in the beginning.

I understood that the stories we believe have power over us. They work into our bodies and minds and change us from inside out. What if one day these stories become something stronger, more real, than fairy tales?

Finding one's voice - or creating a narrative voice that has the power to carry your story - is the hardest part.

If I'm not writing, I'm not fully living. It has become the essential element that defines who I am.

Writing grew out of the pleasure of escape. My novels are very much outside of my personal experience. That is why I love writing fiction. It allows me to leave my existence and inhabit other lives.

Reckless action is worse than wise restraint.