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.

Secret families are really the bedrock issue of Western literature.

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

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

I am neither religious nor superstitious, but there is something otherworldly about the space where two roads come together. The devil is said to set up shop there if you want to swap your soul for something more useful. If you believe that God can be bribed, it's also the hallowed ground to make sacrifices. In the literal sense, it's also a place to change direction, but once you've changed it, you're stuck until you come to another crossroads, and who knows how long that will be.

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.