Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons.

He had fought back with every weapon in his arsenal, being alternatively obtuse, evasive and pedantic, for it was wonderful how you could obscure an emotional issue by appearing to seek precision.

Every now and then I read a poem that does touch something in me, but I never turn to poetry for solace or pleasure in the way that I throw myself into prose.

Oh, HONESTLY, don't you two read?

Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you.

Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you're failing as a writer - which it definitely feels like when you're struggling to write regularly or can't seem to earn a living as a freelance writer - maybe you need to take a long-term perspective.

In truth, I never consider the audience for whom I'm writing. I just write what I want to write.