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The truth is, you have about three paragraphs in a short story, three pages in a novel, to capture that editor's attention enough for her to finish your story.

I tend to write longer narrative pieces after I've finished writing a novel - when the fiction's finished and put away, and I have a chance to take all the ideas that are buried inside of my novels and work with them directly.

I started to write a new editor not too long ago and had it about half done after two days.

Most novels, I find, are three times longer than they need to be. Very little happens, and I don't want to waste my time with them.

I actually enjoy writing longer books because you have even more to get your storytelling teeth into.

In the world of book writing, an author really gets to have control over what he or she writes, which is why it is very satisfying. With the help of a great compatible editor, you really have something in the end you can call your own.

Editing requires you to be always open, always responding. It is very important, for example, not to allow yourself to want the writer to write a certain kind of book. Sometimes that's hard.

Truth is, every writer has to be a good editor, and you have to edit yourself. It's a skill every writer has to acquire.

Publishing a short story can sometimes feel like shouting into the dark... your words come out, and then nothing... but I don't think that's why I tend to write novels rather than stories.

I want to do some fiction writing, I've had some pretty good luck with short stories, I'd like to do a couple of larger things.