I never base a character on someone I know. You can get ideas from real life, but every character you write is some aspect of yourself.

I used to be sure of things. Me, once i had all the answers. I wish i was a kid again, when i had all the answers

Anything you read can influence your work, so I try to read good stuff.

I advise writing to oneself. If you don't want to read it, nobody else is going to read it.

...but I've never regretted it. You can't regret experience.

I guess I just couldn't see standing there -- alive, talking, thinking, breathing, being -- one second, and dead the next. It really bothered me. Death by violence isn't the same as dying any other way, accident or disease or old age. It just ain't the same.

I like having a private name and a public name. It helps keep things straight.