Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.

These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what's taking place in the story.

I never see my bad guys as simply bad. They want pretty much the same thing that you and I want: they want to be happy.

I got halfway through 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.' I don't get it at all. What's the big thrill? It's boring.

I don't have any of the modern stuff. I don't have e-mail. I don't have a computer!

Don't worry about what your mother thinks of your language.

I still read Hemingway. I still read his short stories because they're so good. He doesn't waste any words.