One generation's idea of fast pace might be different from a later generation's.

People who know various movie versions don't really know the story.

You have to follow your own voice. You have to be yourself when you write. In effect, you have to announce, 'This is me, this is what I stand for, this is what you get when you read me. I'm doing the best I can - buy me or not - but this is who I am as a writer.

A thriller must be thrilling. A mystery may or may not be a thriller depending on how much breathless emotion it has, as opposed to cerebral calculation.

When I teach writing, I have a mantra: Be a first-rate version of yourself, and not a second-rate version of another writer.

At their best, thrillers not only entertain. Ideally they also reflect the society in which they are set, analyzing our fears and how we perceive the world.

Your obligation as writers is to distinguish yourself. … The ultimate result should be a book that you write that no one else could have written.