Never Use The Words 'suddenly' Or 'all

I Never See My Bad Guys As Simply Bad. They Want Pretty Much The Same Thing That You And I Want: They Want To Be Happy.

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.

Avoid Prologues: They Can Be ­annoying, Especially A Prologue ­following An Introduction That Comes After A Foreword.

My Most Important Rule Is One That Sums Up The 10: If It Sounds Like Writing, I Rewrite It.

If It Sounds Like Writing, I Rewrite It. Or, If Proper Usage Gets In The Way, It May Have To Go. I Can't Allow What We Learned In English Composition To Disrupt The Sound And Rhythm Of The Narrative.