I have always admired the work of Phil Farmer and was glad for the chance to work with him. Readers today may be too young to remember his classics like The Lovers.

For our stories are not yet finished, and perhaps will never be.

Keep writing, because not only does practice improve skill, it gives you more chances to score on the market. I did that for eight years before making my first sale.

Here's a secret: fictive text doesn't necessarily flow easily. Most of the time it's more like cutting a highway through a mountain. You just have to keep working with your pick, chipping away at the rock, making slow progress.

I don't want ever to be guilty of what my critics claim: doing formula without original elements.

Have a working spouse, because you won't earn a living from writing - not at first, if ever. My wife worked for years to support us.

If every editor turns you down, maybe you should take a second look at your text, however, just in case.