It does not seem to me that I have the right to foist a story on people, most of whom are children who should be learning all the time, unless I am learning from it too.

A garden should be natural-seeming, with wild sections, including a large area of bluebells.

You've no right to walk into people's castles and take their guitars.

Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.

Writing for adults, you have to keep reminding them of what is going on. The poor things have given up using their brains when they read. Children you only need to tell things to once.

Theseus made unscrupulous use of Ariadne (whom he left on an island where Bacchus later found her-I always think that really meant she took to drink, poor girl).

I've got a hangover." "No, you hit your head on the floor." "I can't stay. I've got to rescue that fool Sophie.