Guy Gavriel Kays Tigana is, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best fantasy novel ever written. Its beautifully written, the characters are unforgettable, the worldbuilding is exquisite.

In teaching writing, I'm learning new things about writing.

Guy Kay is probably my favorite and the writer I most want to emulate.

Writing about craft has forced me to think more about my own writing technique, and to break down my process in ways that have been enormously helpful to me.

I write every day for most of the work day, and I try to write 2,500 words per day... If I don't make it a routine and treat it like a job, I'd never get anything done.

I listen to instrumental jazz and bluegrass, but aside from my AM workout, I have no rituals.

The closer you can get to your setting and to primary sources, the more authentic your history is going to be.

As I write, invariably I encounter more questions and answer those as I go.

I love magic and playing with magic systems. But to me, good fantasy like all fiction comes down to good character and plotting.

Wrote my first "novel" when I was six. Studied a bit in college, but then pursued history... But when I started writing professionally, it was mostly learn as you go.

The best writing advice I ever got was "Keep moving forward, don't retreat into rewrites." The worst came from a book that said "Writing fiction is like telling lies," which just seems stupid to me.

Isn't it time that, in love, we freed ourselves from the loved one and, trembling, endured:as the arrow endures the string, collecting itselfto be more than itself as it shoots?

We all know that the un-examined life is not worth living (socrates). But if all you are doing is examining, you are not living.

Anyone who prays for the death of his enemy must consider who tempted Jesus Christ, the persecution of the apostles and the Psalm 23 of David

The man who wins is the average man, Not built on any particular plan; Not blessed with any particular luck

I never had a single conversation about politics with Ross Perot in my life; still haven't.

I do not outline. There are writers I know and count as my friends who certainly do it the other way but for me part of the adventure is not knowing how it's going to turn out.

The people who say you are not facing reality actually mean that you are not facing their idea of reality

I have a feeling that we are doing better in the war than the people have been told.

I’ll wait out here until the two of you are finished. Just call out if you need anything. Like a priest, cop, or lion tamer. (Aimee)

For without risk there is no faith, and the greater the risk, the greater the faith.