Where do storytellers find the wisdom to discover their own stories? From no place more mysterious than their own hearts.

Writing the opening lines of a story is a bit like starting to ski at the steepest part of a hill. You must have all your skills under control from the first instant.

when you are dealing with art, any kind of art, your pleasure in making it is what matters most.

Description needs to slide into a story like a snake through grass - silently, almost invisibly, without calling attention to itself. It should enrich every story moment without slowing the action.

It is the nature of stories to leave out far more than they include.

You don't choose your themes; they choose you. The meaning of your stories will rise out of your deepest longings, often out of longings so deep that you haven't admitted them even to yourself. Your convictions, your confusions, your most passionate dreams will be there whenever you begin a story, so you might as well learn to tap into them.

another word for talent is obsession.