An outline is crucial. It saves so much time. When you write suspense, you have to know where you're going because you have to drop little hints along the way. With the outline, I always know where the story is going. So before I ever write, I prepare an outline of 40 or 50 pages.

Poverty is a great equalizer

I was a lawyer for 10 years - a short time, but it molded me into who I am.

Critics should find meaningful work.

I was a lawyer for 10 years, and several of my clients had the misfortune, through no fault of my own, of going to prison. I visited them occasionally.

I don't even know what a serious literary critic is.

I learned that lesson a long time ago. When you write popular fiction, you're going to get bashed by critics.