I've sold 11 of my books to Hollywood. There are all kinds of my books on shelves in Hollywood because the scripts didn't capture the characters.

The writing ethic was influenced - when you have to write every day, there's no such thing as writer's block.

I'm a pretty harsh critic when it comes to my own stuff or things that come from my work.

I'm always looking at ways of shaking up the writing experience because I think it helps.

Los Angeles was the kind of place where everybody was from somewhere else and nobody really droppped anchor. It was a transient place. People drawn by the dream, people running from the nightmare. Twelve million people and all of them ready to make a break for it if necessary. Figuratively, literally, metaphorically -- any way you want to look at it -- everbody in L.A. keeps a bag packed. Just in case.

Everybody counts or nobody counts

I view people two ways. They're either eye-for-an-eye people or they are turn-the-cheek people.