When You Work Alone, You Need To

If You Have A Craftsman's Command Of The Language And Basic Writing Techniques You'll Be Able To Write - As Long As You Know What You Want To Say

I've Often Said That There's No Such Thing As Writer's Block; The Problem Is Idea Block. When I Find Myself Frozen-whether I'm Working On A Brief Passage In A Novel Or Brainstorming About An Entire Book-it's Usually Because I'm Trying To Shoehorn An Idea Into The Passage Or Story Where It Has No Place.

Too Much Screaming In Congress. Too Much Screaming Everywhere.

The Outline Is 95 Percent Of The Book. Then I Sit Down And Write, And That's The Easy Part.

Of Course, All Writers Draw Upon Their Personal Experiences In Describing Day-to-day Life And Human Relationships, But I Tend To Keep My Own Experiences Largely Separate From My Stories.