To get the truth, you want to get your own heart to pound while you write.

Don't be didactic - don't write about poverty. Write about poor people. When you dramatize their lives and let life and characters be your inspiration, you will express the 'idea' dynamically and without preaching.

To connect to people at the deepest level, you need stories.

Story is about eternal, universal forms, not formulas.

The universal erosion of values has lead to the universal erosion of story.

When talented people write badly, it's generally for one of two reasons: Either they're blinded by an idea they feel compelled to prove of they're driven by an emotion they must express. When talented people write well, it is generally for this reason: They're moved by a desire to touch the audience.

To get the truth, you want to get your own heart to pound while you write.