And I didn't grow up wanting to be a director. I grew up wanting to be a writer, so for me, that was always the goal - to be a novelist, not a screenwriter. And I think, again, if I didn't have the novels, maybe I'd be much more frustrated by not having directed yet.

I'm just not a natural teacher.

I was like a well trained pianist who knows which note to hit, but can't make the music his own.

You're a writer. Make it up.

With the movies, people are not going to wait around. The deadline is a deadline. In publishing it's more a polite suggestion.

This is good, life must continue, we are fighting barbarians, but we must remain human.

I've never flown a kite.