Ideas aren't magical; the only tricky part is holding on to one long enough to get it written down.

There is nothing that compares to an unexpected round of applause.

I've read short stories that are as dense as a 19th century novel and novels that really are short stories filled with a lot of helium.

Neophyte writers tend to believe that there is something magical about ideas and that if they can just get a hold of a good one, then their futures are ensured.

For me, writing a short story is much, much harder than writing a novel.

It took me about 12 years to reach my million-word mark. The challenge now is to continue to challenge myself.

I'm one of those writers who, when writing, believes she's god-and that she hasn't bestowed free will on any of her characters. In that sense there are no surprises in any of my books.