A man can be in two different places and he will be two different men. Maybe if you think of more places he will be more men, but two is enough for now.

I want the reader to know what's going on. So there's never a mystery in my books.

I get letters. I get several a week, I think. A lot of people want a picture, a lot of people just want an autograph.

Really, when I write a book I'm the only one I have to please. That's the beauty of writing a book instead of a screenplay.

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 focus on characters as individuals with attitudes and write each scene from a particular character's point of view. That way, even narrative passages take on the character's sound. I don't want the reader to be aware of me, writing.

I try to leave out the parts readers skip.