I've been told by people who write historical novels that you just sort of write the emotional truth first, the story at the core, and then you go back and research it at the end.

We are human beings, not ants.

I smoked for many years like a total idiot.

The very best parts of me go into my writing, it is the best version of myself, and I don't think it's hubristic to believe that that's worth something, worth someone else's time. It's the most I have to offer the world.

What's the point of having a book club if you don't get to eat brownies and drink wine?

I wish I could write while I'm on the road but it never works for me. I need to be sitting still.

Studying writing to me means reading and also rewriting obsessively. That's the best way to learn.