I believe that the writer should tell a story. I believe in plot. I believe in creating characters and suspense.

There will always be men struggling to change, and there will always be those who are controlled by the past.

I knew I wanted to be a writer and I knew if I had a wife and family, I would neglect something, and I was afraid it wouldn't be the writing.

In all my stories and novels, no one ever escapes Louisiana. Maybe that is because my soul never left Louisiana, although my body did go to California.

"You going back," she said. "You ain't going to run away from this, Grant."

We looked at each other, and I could see in those big reddened eyes that he was not going to scream. He was full of anger - and who could blame him? - but he was no fool. He needed me, and he wanted me here, if only to insult me.

The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write.