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I write novels, mostly historical ones, and I try hard to keep them accurate as to historical facts, milieu and flavor.

I try to write about things, places, events, and phenomena I know about personally. That helps make the novels more genuine.

I'm a novelist, that's how I make my livelihood, and I concentrate on the novels.

I read what I write over and over and make corrections and improvements, until I reach the conclusion that the material deserves to stand on its own.

Every well-written book is a light for me. When you write, you use other writers and their books as guides in the wilderness.

As a novelist, I ask of myself only that I tell the truth and that I tell it beautifully.

I love literature deeply. I view books as sacred things, and in writing my story, I'm going to do my best to honor the form that has played such a huge part in shaping who I am.

I don't like to make strong statements. I want to write strong novels... I keep my deep, radical things for my novels.

I save the best of myself for novels, and I believe it shows.

Novels for me are how I find out what's going on in my own head. And so that's a really useful and indeed critical thing to do when you do as many of these other things as I do.