I know what falling off the cliff means. I know from being considered a very bright kid to being considered like a moron and dropping out of school.

Writers do not write what they know. They write what they can imagine.

It's a hard life sometimes and the biggest temptation is to let how hard it is be an excuse to weaken

When we think of war, the tendency is to picture young soldiers only in their military roles. To a large extent this dehumanizes the soldiers and makes it easier for society to commit them to combat.

And I see the - you know, when I go to the juvenile detention centers and prisons, I see people who can't read now. And I know that when they leave those prisons and those detention centers, they're not going to be able to make it in our society.

As a writer, I absorb stories, allow them to churn within my own head and heart - often for years - until I find a way of telling them that fits both my time and temperament.

I know what falling off the cliff means. I know from being considered a very bright kid to being considered like a moron and dropping out of school.