The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.

It's best to be ruthless with the past.

The loss of memory isn't always the problem; sometimes--maybe even often--it's the solution.

The ghost story movie that scared me the most was The Changeling with George C. Scott. I think that's sometimes overlooked, but it's a wonderful piece of work.

A man without a sense of purpose, even one whose bank accounts are stuffed with money, is always a small man.

With six weeks' worth of recuperation time, you'll also be able to see any glaring holes in the plot or character development. And listen--if you spot a few of these big holes, you are forbidden to feel depressed about them or to beat up on yourself. Screw-ups happen to the best of us.

I like to write short stories more because I never met a writer who wasn't lazy. And a short story is, by its very definition, short. It is something that generally you can turn out in a week to two weeks depending on how well it goes for you. But, at the same time, it gives the same satisfaction of creating a complete world.