The worst thing you can try to do is to steer the story once it gets going. You just kind of follow along and see where it goes. That's the fun.

I stood for almost an hour in a line of shuffling, bitter - eyed late mailers (Christmas is such a carefree, low - pressure time - that's one of the things I love about it).

People seem to think there's a magic formula to writing, i just write 1 word at a time.

You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.

She can't help it,' he said. 'She's got the soul of a poet and the emotional makeup of a junkyard dog.

Money means I can support my family and still do what I love. Not very many people can say that in this world, and not many writers can say that.

When you're five and you hurt, you make a big noise in the world. At ten you whimper. But by the time you make fifteen you begin to eat the poisoned apples that grow on your own inner tree of pain.