1. I'm a great believer in writing from the inside out. What that means is that, although good story is more important than good writing, writing is the only means you have of conveying the story.
There's a box with a manuscript in it sitting on my desk. It's the manuscript where each neatly printed page has been marred by The Fogel's harsh scrawls.
When I took time off between seasons to write, I often wondered if I was a productive member of society. Perhaps it was because no one gave me a pay at the end of the week to prove that my presence was valued.
I dare to put my short stories up against Alice Munro's.
I wrote a vampire novel. There's nothing like a vampire novel to let your creativity flow, unencumbered and free. Unlike any other kind of fiction, the vampire novel immediately brings up all of the fundamental moral problems that face mortal humans.
So when I think about it: running a marathon is a lot easier than writing and publishing.
I prefer to meet agents face to face, eyeball to eyeball.