Well, I outline fanatically. I am a long thinker and a slow writer, though I am trying to get faster.

Probably careful plotting reflects my personality. I am meticulous by nature. I can't imagine speed-writing anything that happens to pop into my head.

I love sports, as all Bostonians seem to. I love books and movies, as all writers seem to.

The interior of a teenager’s mind is an endless war between Stupid and Clever.

Predisposition is not predestination.

An emotion is a thought, yes, an idea, but it is also a sensation, an ache in your body. Desire, love, hate, fear, repulsion - you feel these things in your muscle and bones, not just in your mind.

no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed

You know, being confident isn't the same as being right.

We move through time like a man in a rowboat, looking back even as we move forward.

Good stories are driven by conflict, tension, and high stakes.

You can write a great book and be ignored. Literary history is full of classics that were under-appreciated in their own time.

If in day to day life you lead a good life, honestly, with love, compassion, and less selfishness, then automatically you will find peace.

The fires of hell were seventy times hotter than the fires of the iron.

To communicate the truths of history is an act of hope for the future.

Sometimes I'll make a statement they'll say, this is the end. This is the end! Right? This is the end. It's finally going to happen.

The packaging has to really sell the product today, because kids can go out and buy a CD and then 10 kids can burn them. So you have to really be on your toes.

Just remember, the language of gesture is more effective than the spoken word. Body language is very powerful. Bring the balance within you and project that balance.

Lewis Strauss is one of my best friends.

You basically can say anything to someone on an email or text as long as you put LOL at the end.

I think that money is the root of all evil. I've seen it happen.