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It's really difficult for me. Language, I am sorry that I haven't. I think I just always expected that you learn a word in place of a word and when I discovered how difficult the grammar was and learning that was very discouraging for me.

My problem with new writers is that it takes me five or six years to memorise the right names.

My grandmother taught me how to read, very early, but she taught me to read just the way she taught herself how to read - she read words rather than syllables. And as a result of that, when I entered school, it took me a long time to learn how to write.

I couldn't say my own name when I was 12.

I dropped off my kids from 10 to 2, went to the library, and just wrote. This is my second career - I'm 41 - and I'm a terrible speller.

When I was in first grade, everyone made fun of my name, of course. I think it's kind of a big name to hold up when you're nine years old. It seemed goofy. I used to tell people I wanted to change the world and they used to think, 'This kid's really weird'.

We became somewhat household names really quickly, within a matter of - what? - three, four months. So it's hard to get used to, and it's really sometimes hard to understand.

I changed my name at 14 because no one outside of my family could pronounce my first name correctly.

When you have a different name, people just kind of take the liberty to spell it how they want.