For the book to succeed, it has to have equal parts ugliness and beauty, counterpoints adding up to emotional complexity. To me, there's a dignity in letting your art be emotionally complex.

No matter what we've done, no matter the disappointments and sullied blunders, today is the opportunity to do right by ourselves.

We have today and hopefully tomorrow to be the best version of ourselves.

My tunnel vision allows me to have a longer work day than most writers. I'm thankful for that.

I always feel that as the author, once I know what a character is ashamed of, then I can go about making her truthful on the page.

I'm a semi-failed writer, but I'm a capital-F Failed musician.

I just thought it was important that people knew right from the jump that I've got problems. But in all seriousness, that's a huge part of my writing process.

Today is going to be free of the past. Today, the past can't hurt me.

In my life the right question is simply this: What can I do to be happy today?

Self-respect doesn't come naturally to me. I need to constantly remind myself and do the work to err on the side of self-respect, rather than self-punishment.

I struggle with staying clean every day, and what really keeps me from doing something stupid is my daughter.

You must choose a positive response to any situation. This is the first action to conquer it.

So rapid is the flight of dreams upon the wings of imagination.

Soon he would be able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her blood. When the time came, nothing would stop him.

I was hugely relieved to discover there was a purpose for girls with loud voices.

Talk about divine intervention. I can't even tell you how blessed I feel.

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on

I have been asked whether it is strange when a big story and big business for you is tragedy or ill fortune for someone else; but the fact is that is how many things in life work sadly.

You can indeed change the world. Every single good thing you do can change the world.

It's my job, too, to keep up with pop culture and what the kids are into 'cause you don't want to sound like an old man trying to write for kids. I spend a lot of my time spying on them.

But there are still only certain film genres where a woman can stand out, be heroic, be the centerpiece.