The villain is always more entertaining because he has fewer limitations. The hero is bound by honor, by justice and by the law, sometimes.

I would like immortality.

When I'm my own editor, there's very little difference between the first draft and the final. I write what feels right to begin with. I rarely make any major changes.

I've never had to work out of the arts. I've always either been a writer or an editor, or something where I've made my living from doing what I love. You can't get any better than that.

Lord of the Rings, I think, is far and away the most brilliantly done stuff.

I realized the only thing I owed my audience was my own judgment and my own best effort.

In general, shorter is better. If you can encapsulate your idea into a single captivating sentence, you're halfway home.