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 love that when you're writing your mind is sort of figuring things out on its own, without you directing it.

I'm structured with time.

I do love that discovery of when you're trying to figure out how to make something work, and it happens in a way that you didn't predict.

I don't think about it that much, but sometimes I am surprised by that. I sometimes wonder why I didn't turn out to be the kind of picture-book writer who has stuffed animals that go with their books. That would be okay with me.

I [drinking coffee] for about an hour, I get dressed and go down in my studio, and that's a different kind of working.