All writers are mimics, and I'm not interested in picking up somebody else's style or voice.
I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it.
What I look for in any character, good or bad, is whether I can hear him speak. If I can imagine him that clearly, then I can write about him.
Yes, in my books I do edit myself to keep from becoming the Village Explainer.
I do try not to spend much time reading in the suspense genre.
But at the same time, the commonplace statement about them is true: every character is the hero of his own story. Each has a justification for his actions that is convincing to him. It's fun to give these people voices.