I am a great believer that all the primary research has to be done before principle writing begins. I'm a huge advocate of plotting.

Good collaboration essentially boils down to personalities who work well together and are able to integrate each other's notes and ideas without killing each other.

Dee's search for knowledge was always his greatest strength... and his weakness.

They [my characters]speak to me all the time! In fact some of them never shut up!

Middle school's amazing. It is extraordinary. An extraordinary time.

I've published over 100 books - and that is divided about 50/50 adult and young adult. Lately, I have been writing more YA, which is such a great genre to write it. I don't have a favourite (I usually say it's the last book I've written), but certain books do stick in the mind. My very first YA novel, The Children of Lir, will always be special to me, and, of course The Alchemyst because it was a series I'd wanted to write for ages.

The secret to writing is writing. Lots of people I know talk about writing. They will tell me about the book they are going to write, or are thinking about writing, or may write some day in the future. And I know they will never do it. If someone is serious about writing, then they will sit down every day and put some words down on paper.