When we wake, it is because something, some event, some pinprick even, disturbs the edges of what we’ve taken as reality.

It is the nature of the writer to question the validity of his world and yet rely on his senses to describe it. From what other tension can great literature be born?

When we wake, it is because something, some event, some pinprick even, disturbs the edges of what we’ve taken as reality.

Imbuing fiction with a life that extends beyond the last word is in some ways the goal: the ending that goes beyond the ending in the reader's mind, so invested are they in the story.

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.

I had learned so much about the world that I had decided to withdraw from it.

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.