Okay, I thought. Here you are. You are here. And you move forward because that's the way it works; that's the only place u can go. You keep going until it stops hurting, or until you find new things to hurt you worse, I guess. And that is the human condition, all of us lurching along in our own private miseries, because that's the way it is. Because, I guess, God didn't give us any choice. You grow up, I remembered Abigail telling me. You learn.

I have these "pinch me" moments when I realize I got to be the thing I wanted to be growing up. I'm right where I belong.

Everyone has sorrow. Everyone has obligations. Everyone keeps going. You lean on the people who love you. You do the best you can, and you keep going.

I was lucky to receive help at the beginning of my career and now I want to help other writers as much as I can.

I get really starstruck and tongue tied when I'm around other writers and the conversation tends not to go well.

I'm going to continue writing. I'll always be a storyteller. But I'm also taking time to enjoy my life.

I also believe that if you're really a writer, you'll write, and that nobody could stop you.