A book ought to be an icepick to break up the frozen sea within us. – Kafka

What do you think a book ought to be?

When I was a kid I had the biggest crush on Hayley Mills in Pollyanna. Who did you have a crush on when you were young?

Welcome to Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? Any little rituals you perform for your writing?

If Hollywood came calling to do one of your books (or WIPs), and you got to pick the actor for the starring role, who would you choose?

Photo by Alan Light via Wikimedia Commons

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”  – Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

Do you agree with Ray? Do you ever feel like the act of writing itself is good, or even crucial, for you?

I’m writing an unauthorized autobiography. – Steven Wright

What would be the first scene in your own autobiography?

For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories, and it is a pity that we use it so little. – Rachel Carson

What is a smell that you associate with your childhood? Describe the scene.

”I am happiest writing in small rooms. They make me feel comfortable and secure. And it took me years to figure out that I need to write in a corner. Like a small animal burrowing into its hole, I shift furniture around, and back myself into a cozy corner, with my back to the wall … and then I can write.”
—Danielle Steel

What is your ideal writing space?

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.” ― Dorothy Parker

What advice would you give an aspiring writer today?