I'm heavily influenced by Edward Ardizzone, how he has people talking in little speech bubbles. I love those. And also Edward Gorey. Those are two of my favorite people.

In some ways I'm very structured.

In the bedroom time I have generated thoughts, and then in the studio I take those thoughts and try to shape them into something.

I started thinking about [ what book is going to go next] when I was working on As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth.

I don't want to make myself sound that spontaneous, because I'm not.

I made a drawing for a book I'm working . It's a little drawing of a girl who's ashamed and upset and hides in the corner of the closet. It's the kind of drawing that I feel like I'm really good at.

I had a general outline of subjects. The way I start my days is my husband brings me a thermos of coffee up to the bedroom.