A great storyteller is born

Listen to the Demands of the Story

"If elements of my own life sift themselves into the plot, it's because they feel organic to the story I am telling—a story that distinctly belongs to the characters and not to me.  I try to listen to the demands of the story and stay true to them."

Life is too short

The Rich Part of Your Writing

"When you're writing, you have to get really close to your subject and see the weird and unexpected 'colors' there.  Even a character who's supposed to be incredibly sexy should have flaws.  Even a tragic scene should have those weird moments of humor or joy.  Those little details are the rich part of your writing, and the only thing language should be doing is translating what you 'see' as cleanly as possible to readers."

Find the Right Rhythm

"I think a story, when properly told, finds its own natural length.  If you try to extend it too much, it just stretches and begins to bore, and if you try to compress it too much, it just fractures.  So you just hope that you can find the right rhythm.  It's a musical thing.  You feel it out, you cut back, you switch things around—until it feels entirely natural.  A story should feel easy when of course it's far from easy." (artist)

Their Greatest Story

"I think the better use of research is talking to people where they develop a trust and tell you their greatest story.  If you go in there and you know what you want to write and you just want to write it, then why bother them?  But you're there and taking their time because they have something amazing to share, and as a writer, all you're doing is trying to look through someone else's eyes."