What novel have you read more than once, and why?

Murder, My Sweet (1944). Adaptation of Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. Lobby card from the personal collection of James Scott Bell. Used by permission.

What’s your favorite novel-to-movie adaptation?

“From my close observation of writers… they fall into two groups: 1) those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and 2) those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review.” – Isaac Asimov

How do you respond to bad reviews?

“Goals transform a random walk into a chase.” – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Are you a goal setter? Or do you prefer the random walk?

What are some of your current goals?

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist or understand.” – George Orwell

Agree or disagree?

“Why shouldn’t you have a hard time? If it was easy, any little mug could chisel in on the racket, and it wouldn’t be any good for anybody. It doesn’t take brains, certainly, to be a freelance fiction racketeer… but it takes an ironclad intestinal tract.” — Jack Woodford

Discuss!

What’s on top of your bucket list?

What book from your childhood or adolescence hit you with such an emotional wallop that you’ve never forgotten it?

Is your desk neat or a carousel of clutter? One study suggests creatives should leave that messy desk alone. “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights.” In contrast, the researchers found that orderly environments encourage convention and playing it safe.

So what does your desk look like?