You learn by writing short stories. Keep writing short stories. The money's in novels, but writing short stories keeps your writing lean and pointed.
Mother Nature doesn't care if you're having fun.
In general, I don't know when inspiration will pop up.
Everything starts as somebody's daydream.
In the world of words the imagination is one of the forces of nature.
There is a technical, literary term for those who mistake the opinions and beliefs of characters in a novel for those of the author. The term is 'idiot'.