Working as an editor was like being a professional reader, and the better I became at reading the better I became at writing.

My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that imagined reader, which is a crucial part of learning to tell stories.

An editor is like a professional reader, and as I became a better reader, I also became a better writer.

I really believe that fiction functions best when stories are allowed to develop in an organic way, so I didn't set out to deliver a specific message.

Working as an editor was like being a professional reader, and the better I became at reading the better I became at writing.

My goal was just to tell the unlikely story in a way that would feel as convincing as possible.

To be a good editor or a good writer, I think you really need to be a great reader first.