Quote

I do insist on making what I hope is sense so there's always a coherent narrative or argument that the reader can follow.

Considerations of plot do a great deal of heavy lifting when it comes to long-form narrative - readers will overlook the most ham-fisted prose if only a writer can make them long to know what happens next.

My goal is to invite readers to think along with me and draw their own conclusions.

As a writer, you must know what promise your story or novel makes. Your reader will know.

As a writer, I'm more interested in what people tell themselves happened rather than what actually happened.

It has always been something I could do, and it may seem odd that in my case I seem to create an interesting narrative and frustrate the reader's opportunities to follow it at every step.

Narrative has been part of human consciousness for a long time. And if it has played a part in all those thousands of years, it will know a trick or two. It will be wise. It will be mischievous. It will be helpful. It will be generous.

I believe that the writer should tell a story. I believe in plot. I believe in creating characters and suspense.

I never plot out my novels in terms of the tone of the book. Hopefully, once a story is begun it reveals itself.

I think you tell the story that has to be told. You tell the story that's the truth. You tell the story that readers will be interested in and should know about.