I certainly want to portray the importance of friendship. I had noticed in movies and TV shows that friends often treated one another terribly, and my friends, the few I have, are never cruel to me or unkind, so I wanted to convey that.

There are so many talented young writers named Jonathan, with whom by comparison I suffer terribly.

It's hard for me to think of writing a novel, because it takes so long.

For me, the past is dead. Can't go back.

I started puberty very late. I was nearly sixteen. And for complicated reasons this late arrival of my puberty caused me to stop playing competitive tennis. But before my puberty problem, I had trouble with my lower back and with my left testicle.

I don't really recognise success. I don't see myself as on an upwardly mobile trajectory. I see myself as on the edge of a cliff about to fall off.

It seems like the original 'Star Trek' could have gone on longer.