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

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

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.

I used to tiptoe up to my bedroom door and leap into my room in an attempt to surprise my dolls in the midst of some kind of action. Unfortunately, they were always too quick for me. I'm still disappointed about that.

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.

another word for talent is obsession.

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