I don't think about being a celebrity.

It is our duty and our joy to communicate our hearts to each other. Words assist us in this task.

Say it, reader. Say the word 'quest' out loud. It is an extraordinary word, isn't it? So small and yet so full of wonder, so full of hope.

As far as books getting turned into movies, I fared very, very well.

But still, here are the words Despereaux Tilling spoke to his father. He said, "I forgive you, Pa!" And he said those words because he sensed that it was the only way to save his heart, to stop it from breaking in two. Despereaux, reader, spoke those words to save himself.

Anybody who puts a book into someone else's hands inspires me - teachers, librarians, booksellers, parents.

I think I'm succinct to the point of trying to write the two-word novel. Editing my work almost never means taking anything out but rather adding, because I'm always stripping down. I tend to under-write rather than over-write.