The fish was an enemy. It had come upon the community and killed two men, a woman, and a child. The people of Amity would demand the death of the fish. They would need to see it dead before they could feel secure enough to resume their normal lives.

The past always seems better when you look back on it than it did at the time. And the present never looks as good as it will in the future.

The great fish moved silently through the night water.

Reputations rise and fall almost as regularly as the tides.

I've never been hurt by a sea creature, except for jellyfish and sea urchins.

Fascinations breeds preparedness, and preparedness, survival.

I read very widely, both non-fiction and fiction, so I don't think there's a single writer who influences me.