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Suspense arises naturally from good writing - it's not a spice to be added separately.

Suspense is very important. Even though this is humor and they're short stories, that theory of building suspense is still there.

I often will write a scene from three different points of view to find out which has the most tension and which way I'm able to conceal the information I'm trying to conceal. And that is, at the end of the day, what writing suspense is all about.

I think suspense is a big thing.

I believe that the writer should tell a story. I believe in plot. I believe in creating characters and suspense.

So long as you tell a story that falls within the fairly generous boundaries of the suspense novel, you're free to make the novel as good as you can. You're allowed to challenge the reader. You can experiment with voice and style.

I'm always writing about character first. Plot, such as it is, comes from the characters.

I love intricate plotting and exciting twists, but I realize more that people enjoy a good story in a simple, focused way.

I'm really quite bad at coming up with plot ideas. I like to create characters and just see what will happen to them when I let them loose!

You don't idea your way into a plot but plot your way into an idea.