Characters are the key to a good book. It took me several novels to comprehend that.

I was brought up, as a lot of kids are, on 'Aesop's Fables,' 'Brothers Grimm,' 'La Fontaine,' all those sorts of things. Hans Christian Andersen is a hero of mine.

Any problem can be solved between people if only they can trust each other

My Albert married his Maisie Brown as he said he would. But I think she never took to me, nor I to her for that matter. Perhaps it was a feeling of mutual jealousy.

For me,the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches out-the writing down of it I always find hard.But I love finishing it,then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers.

Stories make you think and dream; books make you want to ask questions.

Always write your ideas down however silly or trivial they might seem. Keep a notebook with you at all times.