But what if you discover that the price of purpose is to render invisible so many other things?

I do believe very much in the idea of unexpected or "convulsive" beauty - beauty in the service of liberty.

The music I listen to while writing is really scene-specific. It's just a great motivator, a way to put myself in the mood.

Position yourself to succeed by doing the other things in your life that rejuvenate you. You can create little islands of time away from your novel that will help preserve your balance. Exhaustion will affect both your writing’s quality and your productivity.

Who had the bigger burden? The one who had to watch the other person endure or the one who endured?

History has shown us all too often the consequences of dreaming poorly or not at all.

Trust your imagination. Don't be afraid to fail. Write. Revise. Revise. Revise.