Nobody is ordinary if you know where to look.

I don't have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. I have ugly ducklings turning into confident ducks.

I try to make my characters kind of ordinary, somebody that anybody could be. Because we've all had loves, perhaps love and loss, people can relate to my characters.

I'm an escapist kind of writer.

Women who start out as ugly ducklings don't become beautiful swans. What they mainly become is confident ducks. They take charge of their lives.

The whole art of life is knowing the right time to say things.

Always write as if you are talking to someone. It works. Don't put on any fancy phrases or accents or things you wouldn't say in real life.

If you don't go to a dance you can never be rejected but you'll never get to dance either.

Because I saw my parents relaxing in armchairs and reading and liking it, I thought it was a peaceful grown-up thing to do, and I still think that.

We are all the heroes and heroines of our own lives. Our love stories are amazingly romantic; our losses and betrayals and disappointments are gigantic in our own minds.

I have always believed that life is too short for rows and disagreements. Even if I think I'm right, I would prefer to apologize and remain friends rather than win and be an enemy.

Striking a balance in life is tough, but trying to strike balance and remain fair in the face of imbalance and oppression is even tougher.

Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.

…she was discovering once again that reading and writing were not the same — you couldn't just soak it up then squeeze it out again.

When a dog barks at the moon, then it is religion; but when he barks at strangers, it is patriotism!

If you really want to rebel against your parents: outearn them, outlive them, and know more than they do.

Even the charities I give to are related to things that touch my life, like the Special Olympics. I'm not fully rational; I'm swayed by my biases and my emotions.

If filmmakers are ignorant of the past, they laborto re-invent the wheel in every picture. You sit and think, 'Well,we're back to 1903 here.'

We create stress for ourselves because you feel like you have to do it. You have to. I don't feel that anymore

You can start any 'Monty Python' routine and people finish it for you. Everyone knows it like shorthand.

You can be very wild and still be very wise