But one does not make living writing poetry unless you're a professor, and one frankly doesn't get a lot of girls as a poet.

She was reflecting back on a truth she had learned over the years: that people heard what they wanted to hear, saw what they wanted, believed what they wanted.

I've often said that there's no such thing as writer's block; the problem is idea block. When I find myself frozen-whether I'm working on a brief passage in a novel or brainstorming about an entire book-it's usually because I'm trying to shoehorn an idea into the passage or story where it has no place.

The best way to learn about writing is to study the work of other writers you admire.

It's becoming apparent that I like bad boys. That's one of my problems. They've all been bad boys. You're one too. You're a bad boy. But, I think you're a good bad boy.

If you have a craftsman's command of the language and basic writing techniques you'll be able to write - as long as you know what you want to say

My books are primarily plot driven but the best plot in the world is useless if you don't populate them with characters that readers can care about.