A young woman hiking alone in the mountains sounds dangerous. In the pre-cell phone era maybe it was, but Ill stop short of calling it foolish.

The feat of surviving is directly related to the capacity of the survivor.

I was haunted by a bear attack that happened in Algonquin Park in 1991. The problem was that I dont believe in ghosts, so that ruled out an exorcism. My other choice was to start writing.

I would get a lot of writing done if I lived in isolation in a cave under a swamp.

The body needs food, warmth and water, but your heart needs more.

How do you solve a mystery? How do you write a book? The techniques for starting both are surprisingly similar. Find an intriguing question and, pen and dagger tucked under cloak, search for clues.

Parents spend a lot of time talking over kids. My son went through a vocabulary burst as I was writing The Bear. I thought, What if I just stopped and listened?

I love the Internet, and I love wasting time on the Internet - even though it sometimes ends up being not being a waste of time.

I like situations that push a character to the edge.

The secret of all greatness is in knowing what to do with time. The secret of all the great men and women in history is that they converted their time into tangible products.

For the curious reader

Visionaries are hyper-focused to make sure there dreams come through. Be a visionary!

I think it's the most extraordinary studio around. I would love to do my next project with Pixar.

Leaders goal: Understand the power of serving a leader further down the road than you because leadership is contagious.

I desire that your conjectures should not reach beyond your creative will. Could you create a god? Then do not speak to me of any gods.

With all its excesses, the modern impressionistic movement has given us one discovery, the color violet. It is the only discovery of importance in the art world since Velazquez.

I think you learn more from looking at how things occurred and what happened afterward, not just at the event

I have to experience all the ghastly, bottomless depths for life for myself; it's for that reason that I went to war, and for that reason I volunteered.

Through the ages all great men have taught truth and happiness can't be bought.