Grieving is like being ill. You think the entire world revolves around you and it doesn't.

Grief rolled across the space between us like a wash of salt water.

I focus on the writing and let the rest of the process take care of itself. I've learned to trust my own instincts and I've also learned to take risks.

Age plays cruel tricks on the human face; all our repressed feelings become visible on the surface, where they harden like a mask.

The critical lessons in life hold sway whether you like it or not.

Writing is not about making a buck, not about publishers and agents. Writing is not about feeling good. Writing is about pain, suffering, hard work, risk, and fear.

You never know which people will affect your life.