Reading is very creative - it's not just a passive thing. I write a story; it goes out into the world; somebody reads it and, by reading it, completes it.

Will you still love me when I'm a monster?

I don't want to die, really. I'm interested in what happens next, so I've got to keep on.

I hope I am not too repetitive. However, coming to terms with death is part of the general human situation.

At the same time, I think books create a sort of network in the reader's mind, with one book reinforcing another. Some books form relationships. Other books stand in opposition. No two writers or readers have the same pattern of interaction.

Of course there are big differences in length and character and vocabulary, but each level has its particular pleasures when it comes to the words one can use and the way one uses them.

I, personally, have found reading a continual support to writing.