I'm not setting out to adapt books and work with books, but when really amazing stories come to you in that form, it's really hard to turn away from that.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
But at the same time, I have trouble keeping things out of books, which is why I don't write short stories because they turn into novels.
The point of what I do is that it doesn't really matter what a book or a story is as long it moves you, informs you, challenges you, entertains you, or changes you.
I don't like books that play to the gallery, but I've become more concerned with telling a story as clearly and engagingly as I can.
Probably every book I read influenced me in some small way. Authors like Jan Westcott, Kathleen Winsor, Catherine Cookson, Georgette Heyer, and even Barbara Cartland taught me to write character-driven stories.
As a child, I loved story books and wanted to be in them so desperately and live the stories.
I really strive to bring something new to each book. I don't want to write the same book over and over again.
We all face difficulties of our own, and how comforting it is to immerse yourself in a book - my book, any book, any romance. It's entertainment, it's escape, and it can even be an inspiration!
My advice to anyone adapting a novel is that once they've read it and learnt to understand it, then they must throw it away and never look at it again!
Don't ever let the other stuff get in the way of your inherent skills as a kick-butt storyteller. Move the reader, make them happy and sad and excited and scared. Make them stare into space after they've put the book down, thinking about the tale that's become a part of them.
I still feel, as I did when I was six or seven, that books are simply the best way to experience a story.