The best person to write for is yourself—and what better place to start than in a journal.

Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me. Perhaps I've spent too long in the company of my literary romantic heroes, and consequently my ideals and expectations are far too high.

I don't think [Fifty Shades of Grey is] a model for anything. Except maybe in bed.

I came up with a story and I wrote it.

I do not look at the world in terms of black and white - and I find people who do rather scary. I think it's all shades of grey.

There's a very fine line between pleasure and pain. They are two sides of the same coin, one not existing without the other.

So you've just slept with him, given him your virginity, a man who doesn't love you. In fact, he has odd ideas about you, wants to make you some sort of kinky sex slave.