I've had editors over the years who couldn't find a clue if it was stapled to their butt.

If a story isn't working, I'm simply unable to finish it. That's what usually tells me something is wrong.

Were there stories I wrote along the way that were terrible clinkers? God, yes. But they were all a product of their time, and I did the best I could.

I've had editors over the years who couldn't find a clue if it was stapled to their butt.

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.

I've never sat down and thought about the difference between plot and theme. To me, that's never been important.

You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a beginning, a middle, and an end.