Retain a Sense of Childlike Wonder

Give Your Mind a Chance to Refresh

"Breaks give your mind a chance to refresh.  I write multiple books at once, and I'm always thinking about them, even if I'm not at a computer.  It's a habit I picked up as a litigator: You have 1,000 facts in your head, and the most important thing isn't that you know them all- it's that you crystallize them, so that you can present them clearly.  Epiphanies don't occur like a spark; they're actually ideas that have been floating around in your brain for a while.  By the time I sit down to write, my thoughts are well organized and come out cleanly."

It's a World of Opportunity

"It's just never been a better time to be a writer.  It's a world of opportunity.  You can do whatever you want.  You can do it however you want.  It's magical to [say], 'You know what?  I'm going to write a new adult series'—and then write it.  It's amazing.  I don't have to convince anyone, I don't have to sell anyone on it.  I don't have to run it by an agent or a publisher.  I'll just do it."

Stop Mythologizing the Life of a Writer

"Stop mythologizing the life of a writer.  Don't wait for the muse to whisper in your ear.  Don't cultivate an affected personality.  Put your butt in a chair and write.  A writer is no different than a plumber, a landscaper or a dental hygienist.  We are doing what we are called to do and what we are suited for.  You don't need to escape to a cabin and write in a parchment diary with a special pen. Sit at a Starbucks or at home or in the middle of traffic and just write."

King of the Hill

"I've always maintained that no publisher should make more money off of a book than the writer does.  They publish thousands of books a year—but this is the only one (or two) I'm going to do.  This also applies to the Amazons of the world.  We the writers should be king of the hill because we provide the content."

Suspension of Disbelief