Write What You Care About.

I Believe That To Create Real-seeming Characters, The Writer Must Be Willing To Go On A Voyage Of Self-exploration. It Can Be Revealing And Even Painful To Explore Your Own Weakness, But It Gives You Genuine Emotion. Characters In Fiction Come Alive Because Of The Believability Of Their Emotional Lives And That Is What I Strive To Create.

When You Feel Lousy, Puppy Therapy Is Indicated.

I Began Wanting To Create A Detective Who Really Turned The Tables On That Image Of Women, To Know That You Could Have A Sex Life And Not Be A Bad Person. You Could Have A Sex Life And Still Solve Your Own Problems. It Was Eight Years From When I Started Having The Fantasy That I Was Going To Create Such A Detective To When I Actually Sat Down And Came Up With V. I. Warshawski. It Was A Long, Slow Journey To Come To A Writing Voice And Do That Character.

Sometimes I Panic And Think I Can't Really Write.

This Was A Very Progressive Group Of Clergy Who Foresaw The Race Riots That Were Going To Take Place When Dr. King Started Helping The Local Civil Rights Community Push For Open Housing. They Were Sort Of Hoping Against Hope That We Could Educate Kids In A Way That Could Counter Some Of The Racist Messages They Were Imbibing At Home. I Don't Know Whether We Did Any Good, But It Changed My Life In Every Single Way.