You lose a wallet or keys or something and you notice in a second, but your life can go missing and you don't even know it.

The landscape of childhood shapes us as it shapes the characters in our stories. You never forget the sacred places of your childhood.

At the heart of all good fiction and at the heart of all good gossip is the same thing: trouble.

In revision, your imagination becomes deeply engaged with your material. It's when you come to know your characters and begin to perceive their motivations and values.

I lost my job and started painting houses with a friend. The marriage had ended about the same time the career did.

Every person in therapy has a love disorder.

If you think about it, fiction is nothing more than gossip about the people you've made up.