Secret families are really the bedrock issue of Western literature.

If there was ever a time to boil up some grits it is now.

I like straightforward names for my characters. When I get too symbolic with names or places, I start feeling like the characters and the story are less read, and I lose interest.

Remember that the writing itself is good for you. If your story is so close to home that you are afraid to write it, it probably means you need to write it.

I am always urging my students to honor their writing practice, to set up a schedule.

Abandonment doesn't have the sharp but dissipating sting of a slap. It's like a punch to the gut, bruising your skin and driving the precious air from your body.

I was kind of an invisible girl when I was young.