We often think that tragedies happen because of great earthquakes in people's lives. I think they sometimes occur because of small things that become obsessive to a particular person.

You seldom get a censorship attempt from a 14-year-old boy. It's the adults who get upset.

Writing, even though it's hard work, is really a joy when you get these characters to come alive. It's hard to trace where they come from. I can't say that I am sitting here one night at nine o'clock and that a character occurs to me. The magic for me happens at the typewriter.

My dream was to be known as a writer and to be able to produce at least one book that would be read by people. That dream came true with the publication of my first novel - and all the rest has been a sweet bonus.

I have always had a sense that we are all pretty much alone in life, particularly in adolescence.

I take real people and put them in extraordinary situations.

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