Write a Million Words

Protect Your Voice and Your Vision

"You've got to protect your voice and your vision from everybody, really.  Even the best-intentioned editors.  And I mean, I love my editor; I've been with Vicky Wilson for over 35 years.  She's wonderful, and her remarks on the finished manuscript are always terrific.  But I don't go to her to discuss a germinating idea."

The Writer Is in There

"You'd have to be a literary critic or a psychiatrist to pick the writer out of his work.  Every fictional story goes through this sort of blender process where you take some real experience... you know what's real or true when you put it into the blender with fiction, and then it gets all mixed up with something that didn't really happen, but there's still a little of you in there.  I think the writer is in there no matter what you do. You can't really remove yourself from it."

Create Something Brand New

"Know what you're trying to make; know it; practice it.  Just write, and write seriously, and don't worry about genre too much.  Create something brand new."

All I Write Is 1,000 Words a Day

Write What You're Comfortable With

"Write what you are comfortable with, write what you're interested in and what makes you happy.  Because if you are enjoying the writing experience, you're probably going to be more successful with it."