If they had said my writing wasn't good enough, fair enough, that's an opinion. But to say it's too complex is to insult the intelligence of the so-called young.

It's lovely. I hate it.

I like writing about women, weak and strong, pathetic and heroic. I like writing about men, ditto. And all the variants of men and women, beasts and demons.

I think of myself as a storyteller, and that is it.

As a child, my mother told me lots of fairy stories, many her own invention. She, too, tended to reverse the norm.

If you run away from trouble, it always follows.' Rather my impression, too. Though that never stopped me trying.

It's very selfish when I write. I'm not aware, ever, of writing for another person; I'm not even really aware of writing for myself.