I've always thought of myself as an organic writer, rather than a cerebral one. I feel my way along as I go, hoping I'll get to the place I intend to reach.

I think every time you take a female character, a black character, a Hispanic character, a gay character, and make that the point of the character, you are minimalizing the character.

Art is always in the eyes of the beholder. Only posterity has the right to point out our mistakes.

These days, it seems that if you're not already in place, you can't get there from here.

I try to find what makes even the worst, most despicable character sympathetic at his or her core.

The bottom line always remains the same: What is the basic humanity of the character? How do I make them resonate with the reader?

I try not to violate what came before me and to leave lots of wiggle room for those who will follow.