I Don't Mean To Be Insolent. I'm

That's What Archie Did - Built A House Nobody Could Anticipate A Need For, Except Himself, A House That Was Invisible To Everyone Else.

A Man I Know Who Writes And Aspires To Be A Novelist Does Very Little Reading, And He's Not That Successful. But I Think It's Because He's Like The Kid Who Wants To Be A Ballplayer And Never Goes To The Ballpark Or Tries To Hit A Ball. So I'd Say Reading Is The Most Important Thing That I Do, Besides The Actual Writing. I'm Always Asking As I Read, "how Did The Writer Do This? Why Do I Suddenly Have Tears In My Eyes? Why Am I Crying?"

We All Start Out With The Same Alphabet. We Are All Unique. Talent Is Not The Most Important Thing --- Discipline And Dedication Are. Craft Can Be Learned But Desire And Longing Are Innate. Despite The Demands Of School And Just Being Young, Try To Write Something Every Day --- A Description, A Captured Emotion, A Simile, A Metaphor. Read, For Crying Out Loud! A Writer Must Read The Way A Ball Player Must Go To The Ballfield Every Day To Practice. Everything Is Possible In This World Of Ours--- And So's Publication.

Kids Tell Me All The Time, "i Don't Know How You Do It, But That's Us In The Book." That's The Kind Of Response You Want, And I Can't Sacrifice It For The Sake Of Somebody Worried About Censorship. You Have To Find A Way To Be Truthful And Honest.

They Don't Actually Want You To Do Your Own Thing, Not Unless It's Their Thing Too.