"I never started from ideas but always from character..." — Ivan Turgenev Before I sit down to write a story, I need the main character clearly in mind. Like every other writer, it's important for me to know my characters well—so that when I place them in certain situations, I understand how they will react. Understanding real people in depth is difficult; few of those around us are open books. We all have our secrets. The great thing about fictional characters is that the wr

‘Stories ought to leave the reader with a great sense of strangeness and mystery, but never a feeling of frustration.’ Raymond Carver As a writer, I’m shaped by strange catalysts— things that affect and inspire my writing, the forces that shape both my process and my subject matter. Music and alcohol affect the way I write most profoundly. I never edit my work when I’m under the influence of alcohol, or while listening to music. I seek their effect when I am searching for the