His life was two lives now: the life he would have and the life he would forever wonder about.

If a police officer arrests a mime, does he need to tell him he has the right to remain silent.

I think suspense should be like any other color on a writers palette. I suppose Im in the minority but I think its crazy for literary fiction to divorce itself from stories that are suspenseful, and assign anything with cops or spies or criminals to some genre ghetto.

I think so, too. I know I felt that way. For years. It was as if I was a character in a movie and the real action was about to start at any minute. But I think some people wait forever, and only at the end of their lives do they realize that their life has happened while they were waiting for it to start.

At peace? Who but the insane would ever be at peace? What person who has enjoyed life could possibly think one is enough? Who could live even a day and not feel the sweet ache of regret?

You take something from your past that you're somewhat ashamed about and you write about it from another character's point of view.

His life was two lives now: the life he would have and the life he would forever wonder about.