If I think about the writers I love or might be influenced by, I can't write at all, so I pretend there aren't any.

I have a study now - I used not to. I also love working in cafes; ignoring noise is good for concentration.

If I think about the writers I love or might be influenced by, I can't write at all, so I pretend there aren't any.

Oh, I always think everyone feels left out.

I've always thought it was important not to attach too much superstition to the space where you're writing, because once you get into the mindset that you can only do it a certain way in a certain place, your creativity can get blocked.

I dont get distracted until the weight of other things left undone finally tips the balance; my mind is flooded with calls, bills, supermarkets, letters, and I have to stop and sort things out.

I think that we are all much closer to our childhood selves than we often think, so when we read about childhood, it can surprise us how immediate or moving it is, when perhaps those feelings are just there, waiting to be accessed all the time.