As Far As Young Kids Go, My

There Is A Price For Popularity. Critics Look For Your Weaknesses, Your Flaws, Anything That Makes The Work Seem Like A Fluke And Not Seem Worthy Of All The Attention It's Getting.

My Mama Taught Me That Anything Worth Doing In Life Should Be A Little Scary.

Don't Worry About How Pretty (the Story) Sounds, How Lilting It Is, And The Imagery, And The Metaphor, All That. Most Readers Don't Care. It's The People In Your Book That Matter.

I Was Tired Of Chasing Ghosts, Hollow Men Who Were Outside My Comfort Zone, Men Who Had Nothing To Give Me Except A Rush. It Was All I Asked For, And All I Ever Got.

I Would Like To Think That As A Result Of Not Just My Own Experiences, But At Least Being Empathetic And Compassionate About Other People's Experiences And Plights And Tragedies, That I Am Affected By It And Learn From It.