All crises, once averted, become jokes.

At Ucross I learned that I am capable of focusing deeply for long periods of time. I love to write. I don't think I would have said that before this trip.

The issue is that my book, and so many others, are not available for pre-order from Amazon. I hadn't realized how much that mattered for new authors. And how much Amazon is hurting us.

I think that sharpens the intention of a scene and clarifies a story's arc. Of course, I don't seek the questions until after I've written a scene - or maybe after I've daydreamed it.

I tossed off a mention of the pirates early on. And they became integral to the backstory. Sometimes now I imagine them in the woods. They scare me. All men. Dirty and wearing red.

I suppose that it's my impulse to mine, as a writer, these scary parts of ourselves and the world.

I am glad it's [California novel] resonated with people because, for me, most apocalyptic novels aren't scary, because they feel so very far off.

Men were stupid to forget what good sleuths women could be.

I'm married. And pregnant.

I have a darker imagination than most people.

You’re so damn big, ” she whispered.“Why, thank you cariño, ” he said.

How do you tell a Communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

Strong isn't about not being afraid, Caitlin. It's about facing what you're scared of.

She’d vowed to be braver and take more risks, but this seemed out of her league. Because sometimes what you wanted the most was the one thing you were most afraid to get.

Write as if your parents are dead.

He would like to start from scratch. Where is scratch?

Today we voted as Democrats and Republicans. Tomorrow we begin again as New Yorkers.

Always take out your watch when a child asks you the time.

We'll show you that you can build a mind from many little parts, each mindless by itself.

The best of Mozart's works cannot be even slightly rewritten without diminishment.