Marion Zimmer Bradley took apart my first submission to her, covered the manuscript in red ink revisions, and told me to try her again. I had never been so reeling with authorial joy as I had been that day, holding Marion's letter and seeing that ravaged manuscript - finally, it meant that someone cared!

The act of sharing with readers was at first too much of an intimate thing. But it evolved into an intense necessity to share.

Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other.

Not every puzzle is intended to be solved. Some are in place to test your limits. Others are, in fact, not puzzles at all.

Q: Why do I love thee, O Night? A: Because you know I will never answer.

I think I became [writer] despite myself - tricking myself into it, really.

Sometimes, being true to yourself means changing your mind. Self changes, and you follow.