If Work Was A Good Thing, The

I Don't Have Any Of The Modern Stuff. I Don't Have E-mail. I Don't Have A Computer!

At The Time I Begin Writing A Novel, The Last Thing I Want To Do Is Follow A Plot Outline. To Know Too Much At The Start Takes The Pleasure Out Of Discovering What The Book Is About.

Don't Go Into Great Detail Describing Places And Things, Unless You're ­margaret Atwood And Can Paint Scenes With Language. You Don't Want Descriptions That Bring The Action, The Flow Of The Story, To A Standstill.

I Focus On Characters As Individuals With Attitudes And Write Each Scene From A Particular Character's Point Of View. That Way, Even Narrative Passages Take On The Character's Sound. I Don't Want The Reader To Be Aware Of Me, Writing.

Never Use A Verb Other Than ‘said’ To Carry Dialogue.