The emotions attached to them were like sand castles in the tide, slowly washing out to sea.
Most characters are composed of snippets here and there of people I’ve known, and all rolled into the character I’ve created. They do become like their own people.
Relationship is about forgiveness and compromise. It is about balance where one person complements each other.
If Words are the Lyrics, and Laughter the Melody, then a Relationship becomes a Symphony.
Usually, I start thinking about my next novel soon after completing the latest, and it can take anywhere from a month to 6 months to come up with a story.
Loving once and only once is possible – anything is possible.
I’ve done a number of films. I’ve been around this. I think the biggest challenge is just getting the script right, the way that you want the script to be. It’s really about capturing the complexity of emotions and creating the kind of characters that people will want to watch every week.
Working on a novel is very solitary and I get to be the boss. I’m the dictator, so I win every battle. So, in that sense, novels are easier because you don’t have to answer to anyone. And then, you go into something like film and there are more cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.
I generally don’t involve myself in giving the actors some tips on acting. At the same time, I don’t do that with the director.
Spreading the news is your duty as a Christian, and there are many ways to do this.
I think that enduring, committed love between a married couple, along with raising children, is the most noble act anyone can aspire to. It is not written about very much.
Publishing is a business. Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars.
If I knew where creativity came from, I’d probably be a lot less stressed about coming up with new stories.
People in pain don’t always see things as clearly as they should.
Really good original ideas are very hard to come up with. Good ideas – easy. Really good, original ideas – it can take months.
As Logan walked towards her, he smiled as if reading her mind and opened his arms.
Everyone makes mistakes, even if some are worse than others. Accidents happen.
I met my wife on Spring break when I was in college. I was at the University of Notre Dame. She was at the University of New Hampshire. I bumped into her in Florida and told her the next day that I was going to marry her and 20 or something years later here we are.
Above all, a query letter is a sales pitch and it is the single most important page an unpublished writer will ever write. It’s the first impression and will either open the door or close it. It’s that important, so don’t mess it up. Mine took 17 drafts and two weeks to write.
There is a fine line I have to walk throughout the writing process in a novel. It is this line between drama and melodrama, and it is this line between evoking genuine emotional power and being manipulative.