I also try very hard to create characters - both heroes and villains - with psychological depth.

The outline is 95 percent of the book. Then I sit down and write, and that's the easy part.

Too much screaming in Congress. Too much screaming everywhere.

In the shaded portions where the two spheres of different lives meet, certain fundamentals- moods, loves, fears, angers- can't be hidden. That's the contract.

In general, I think, less is more, and that if a reader stops reading because a book is too icky then I've failed in my obligation to the readers.

Of course, all writers draw upon their personal experiences in describing day-to-day life and human relationships, but I tend to keep my own experiences largely separate from my stories.

When you work alone, you need to socialize at some level.