I've had aunts and uncles who not only haven't read my books but could hardly believe that I was a writer.

As much as there is joy in writing, there's always the little bit of terror to keep you on edge, on your toes. It is a strange way to occupy yourself - to enjoy your life on a daily basis. There is no guarantee that something great is going to come next.

Affection is one of the most neglected words in the English language, that people throw the word love around like confetti when they mean affection.

It doesn't matter how big the body, it's what you do with it.

I had my bully, and it was excruciating. Not only the bully, but the intimidation I felt.

Don't miss the bus, boy. You're missing a lot of things in the world, better not miss that bus.

The rewriting is always crucial to what I do; whenever I do a scene, I always tell myself that this isn't final and that I can do it again, better. The pacing is probably from experience. I've always liked gradual disclosure. I keep thinking of my rubber-band theory. You have a rubber band that you keep pulling and pulling and pulling, and just at the moment of snapping you release it and start another chapter and start pulling again.