A Pen Connects You To The Paper.

I Focus On Characters As Individuals With Attitudes And Write Each Scene From A Particular Character's Point Of View. That Way, Even Narrative Passages Take On The Character's Sound. I Don't Want The Reader To Be Aware Of Me, Writing.

Never Use A Verb Other Than "said" To Carry Dialogue... I Once Noticed Mary Mccarthy Ending A Line Of Dialogue With "she Asseverated" And Had To Stop Reading And Go To The Dictionary.

My Characters Have To Talk, Or They're Out. They Audition In Early Scenes. If They Can't Talk, They're Given Less To Do, Or Thrown Out.

Keep Your Exclamation Points Under Control. You Are Allowed No More Than Two Or Three Per 100,000 Words Of Prose.

A Pen Connects You To The Paper. It Definitely Matters.