I write sets of books, but I've also written a lot of orphans.

It's possible to become so comfortable with one's style and structure that one ceases to grow.

I write sets of books, but I've also written a lot of orphans.

I'm not constrained by being a genre writer. Any story I can imagine, I can cast as a fantasy novel and probably get it published.

I do have a small collection of traditional SF ideas which I've never been able to sell. I'm known as a fantasy writer and neither my agent nor my editors want to risk my brand by jumping genre.

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

Short-story writing requires an exquisite sense of balance. Novelists, frankly, can get away with more. A novel can have a dull spot or two, because the reader has made a different commitment.