At the centre of every fairy tale lay a truth that gave the story its power

Writing is a struggle no matter what the genre.

It is a great virtue to be needed. Greater, even, than being liked

An event in the present evokes past sensations. But science couldn't explain how a foolish heart had the power to overrule common sense.

Talent is required, but much of writing is a matter of craft, which develops with time, attention, patience and practice, like playing an instrument or learning to dance.

The human heart was such a complex organ, fragile and sturdy all at once.

She watched the gap between ship and shore grow to a huge gulf. Perhaps this was a little like dying, the departed no longer visible to the others, yet both still existed, only in different worlds.