Writers need each other.
Writing about the 1950s has given me tremendous respect for my mother's generation.
Books exist for me not as physical entities with pages and binding, but in the province of my mind.
History is full of blank spaces, but good stories, invariably, are not.
I care about a lot of issues. I care about libraries, I care about healthcare, I care about homelessness and unemployment. I care about net neutrality and the steady erosion of our liberties both online and off. I care about the rich/poor divide and the rise of corporate business.
A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character.