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When you're writing fiction, you're in every character 'cause you can't help it.

I think part of what I like about being a fiction writer is that I can inhabit something that's beyond the limits of my own personality.

I love working fictional characters into a piece of history. It plays to my strengths, which are characterization and dialogue, and assists me in my admitted weakness, plot.

With writing fiction, I'm either not courageous enough or just not suited for telling truths in a more conventional way. As an actor, I inhabit those characters as I'm writing them.

I don't think anyone can do any character that doesn't have at least some ounce of themselves in it. You are who you are, and your brain is drawing on things that you've experienced.

You can't form a character without being completely comfortable with who you are as a person.

It's more difficult playing a real-life person than a fictional character - you can go easy on yourself with a fictional character.

In terms of the character itself, I can't really say that I find anything really difficult. I enjoy the character so much I don't perceive difficulty in trying to be him. It's just a matter of how do we get there.

I wouldn't like to be a character in one of my books!

You don't want to play a character you can't inhabit or commit to fully.