I'm not really a plot writer - I'm more interested in the characters and sort of small events that propel the story forward.

Try a little tenderness.

I had them all fooled into believing I was normal and well-adjusted, a rock of sensibility who could always be counted on to have a positive attitude.

I was a 'learn by doing' writer - I never took any formal writing classes. So it took a long time to figure things out and find my voice.

I never had a connection like that to anyone, where every day you think about what you’ll tell them and you wonder what they’re doing, and you know they’re wondering what you’re doing.

It's just so out of control. Life, I mean. The way it flies off in all these different directions without your permission.

The kind of life I want is to be a person who would get a personal note every day.