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I huff and puff and struggle with every sentence, paragraph and page - sometimes every word as well.

I write the paragraph, then I'm crossing out, changing words, trying to improve it. When it seems more or less OK, then I type it up because sometimes it's almost illegible, and if I wait, I might not be able to read it the next day.

In my own case, the most inflammatory statements I have ever made are ones that I have written and remain willing to defend.

I am 54 and age is slowly writing itself on my face.

My writing tends to become very dense, so I have to keep some cushion. Sometimes, words that seem superfluous are actually essential for the overall effect.

It's always the paragraphs I loved most, the ones I tenderly polished and re-read with pride, that my editor will suggest cutting.

I had worked so hard for so long that I developed a speech impediment. It happens when I get tired.

I never leave a sentence or a paragraph until I'm satisfied with it.

I suffered from a quite severe speech impediment when I was young, and keeping a journal was part of the therapy.