My Work Is To Know The Characters

I Was Born In The Era Of The Novel. I've Written Many, As Well As Collections Of Poetry, And Essays For Mouthing Off. I've Written To Inches, Word-counts, Page-counts, Even The Sonnet And The Screenplay (which I Call A Plot Poem). I Write Narrative. That's It. I Just Want To Tell It.

Weakness, Like Not Being Able To Bury The Past. Weakness, Like Not Giving Up Hope When You Know You Should.

If Men Are Paid/praised More Than Women For The Same Work Than It Always Pays To Allow The Man To Have More Freedom To Pour Himself Into His Work - Think Of Athletes, Actors Over The Age Of 28, Lawyers, Accountants, College Deans.

I Always Think I Know The Way A Novel Will Go. I Write Maps On Oversized Art Pads Like The Kind I Carried Around In College When I Was Earnest About Drawing. I Need To Have Some Idea Of The Shape Of The Novel, Where Its Headed, So That I Can Proceed With Confidence. But The Truth Is My Characters Start Doing And Saying Things I Don't Expect.

Different Genres Allow Me To Not Feel So Hemmed In By My Own Voice, Tics, Style.