When I began to write seriously, 40 years ago now, my chosen form was the novel.

Here I am going to say something which may come as a bit of a shock. God doesn't necessarily want us to be happy. He wants us to be lovable. Worthy of love. Able to be loved by Him. We don't start off being all that lovable, if we're honest. What makes people hard to love? Isn't it what is commonly called selfishness? Selfish people are hard to love because so little love comes out of them.

Everyone deserves to be the hero of a novel.

A well-off plastic surgeon can suffer just as much as an Irish lad who has been abused or whatever.

If you die, I'll die.' 'But is you live, I'll live.' - Bowman and Kestrel, Firesong

He accepted what each moment brough him, and never troubled himself with matters that were outside his control.

Self-sufficiency is the enemy of salvation. If you are self-sufficient, you have no need of God. If you have no need of God, you do not seek Him. If you do not seek Him, you will not find Him.