Never think of revising as fixing something that is wrong. That starts you off in a negative frame of mind. Rather think of it as an opportunity to improve something you already love.

my experience as a fiction writer tells me that the deeper I look into myself, the more universal is the experience I find there.

It is curious how believable I can be when I criticize myself, how unconvincing when I give myself praise.

Human beings are storytelling animals. That's what separates us from other creatures, not just having thumbs or using tools.

I was an adult before I began to learn that there is a difference between a conversation and an argument.

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

I grew up in a small town with a very small library. But the books in the library opened a large place in my heart. It is the place where stories live. And those stories have been informing my days, comforting my nights, and extending possibilities ever since. If that library had not been there, if the books - such as they were - had not been free, my world would be poor, even today.