I was pretty much grown-up by the time I attended school in Britain - or as grown-up as I'll ever get.

The Rift, which was well over a thousand pages of manuscript, took two years.

Working within the limitations of the shared world generally made the writing easier, because I didn't have to invent any of the characters or background, which is usually the hardest part.

I found college useful for a lot of other reasons. It exposed me to a great many influences I wouldn't otherwise have encountered, and gave me a lot of time with some very intelligent people whose thoughts are still with me.

Try to meet as many authors, agents, and editors as you can.

I want a platform that, like a book or a magazine, I can carry into the bath or leave at the beach.

How long it takes to write a book depends on its length.