I spend a lot of time imagining things - in fact, you could say that imagining things is my job.

It is through our extended family that we first learn to compromise and come to an understanding that even if we don't always agree about things we can still love and look out for each other.

I always thought that bagels and lox was my soul food, but it turns out it's sushi.

Something I notice speaking to writers from south of Hadrians Wall is that the culture is different. At base, I think Scotland values its creative industries differently from England.

I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.

The sky was a sparkling succession of black diamonds on black velvet made crystal clear by the blackout.

I believe the era of the militant lady is back.

Without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.

Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.

Writers of novels live in a strange world where what's made up is as important as what's real.

Books have a vital place in our culture. They are the source of ideas, of stories that engage and stretch the imagination and most importantly, inspire.

The truth is, living in any society is difficult. Those who become desperate with a fractured sense of security are much more prone to being taken advantaged of.

With some stories, you really can't rush things. And it's often best just to sit back and enjoy the journey for what it is.

A typical smart phone has more computing power than Apollo 11 when it landed a man on the moon.

Time is the best author. It always writes the perfect ending.

The only time you truly make a mistake is when you commit a "mis-take," that is, you "miss-taking" the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson from your seemingly malfunctional experience.

It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.

I don't have many expenses as a college student (mostly food) so I'm able to put advertising revenue right back into the production of new videos.

When I was a kid, I was afraid of large group of conforming people.

It's a simple liberating reality - the best things in life are mine for the choosing.

The blues and gospel stuff seemed to go together.