Life is neither static nor unchanging. With no individuality, there can be no change, no adaptation and, in an inherently changing world, any species unable to adapt is also doomed.

I can't tell you any more than any other writer can tell you why they write, and I don't know what my influences are.

I probably read 100 times more than I write, but that way when I move my characters through it, I know.

The other mammoths were as protective of the dying as they were of newborns, and they gathered around tying to make the fallen one get up. When all was over, they buried the dead ancestor under piles of dirt, grass, leaves, or snow. Mammoths were even known to bury other dead animals, including humans.

When you are alone, you have all the time in the world to practice whistling like a bird. When there is no one in the world you can turn to, a horse or .even a lion may give you companionship. When you don't know if there is anyone in the world like you, you seek contact with something living however you can

She lifted the drooping muzzle with both hands...It was a special embrace saved for special occasions.

Life sometimes gets in the way of writing.