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I believe, in a funny way, the job of the novelist is to be out there on the fringes and speaking for an experience that has not really been spoken for.

Writers and travelers are mesmerized alike by knowing of their destinations.

I think any journalist who spends time in a place realizes that there are lots of stories around beyond their primary story. You meet so many interesting people and have all kinds of experiences.

Novelists seem to fall into two distinct categories - those that plan and those that just see where it takes them. I am very much the former category.

I wouldn't say that I'm a travel novelist, but rather a novelist who travels - and who uses travel as a background for finding stories of places.

I was an outsider, never quite part of what was going on, always looking in. It turned out to be great preparation for writing fiction.

I've always liked the idea that writing is a form of travel. And I started my writing career as a mystery novelist for adults.

Writers really live in the mind and in hotels of the soul.

One of the amazing things about writing fiction is that you do get to be other people.

There are some writers I think who love to go around and visit bookstores and just interact.