You'd think a sociopath assassin wouldn't have a fan following but he does.- Laurell K. Hamilton
You either mellow at 30, or your head explodes - take your choice.
When sex is necessary for the plot of a book, or a character development, then I do not shy away from it. Why should I?
What we prefer to read is sort of like sexual preference, you like what you like. Most of the time you have no clue why.
Two things I do well in books are sex and violence, but I do not want gratuitous sex or violence. The sex and violence are only as graphic as need be. And never included unless it furthers the plot or character development.
The fey in this country keep to themselves, and are a separate nation, much like the American Indians, but with even more autonomy.
Some people just do not seem to understand the concept of fiction. It is fiction; it ain't true, folks.
Readers respond to every genre intensely, if it's a genre that appeals to them. Again, who can say why anyone enjoys horror and dark fantasy? If I can't answer the question for myself, I wouldn't dream of trying to answer it for others.
Perfection is an unattainable goal. It is not going to be perfect. Just get words down on paper, and when you stumble to what you think is the end of the book, you will have hundreds of pages of words that came out of your head. It may not be perfect, but it looks like a book.
One of my rules is never explain. A writer is a lot like a magician, if you explain how the trick works then a lot of the magic turns mundane.
Now that I am being very successful, publishers are trying to mainstream me, but I am unabashedly genre. It's what I like to read, what I like to write.
Never argue with your characters; they know themselves better than you do.
My writing style is very sensual, as in sensory detail.
My characters surprise me constantly. My characters are like my friends - I can give them advice, but they do not have to take it. If your characters are real, then they surprise you, just like real people.
Most of the monsters... are based on some sort of mythology. Every culture and even some geographical areas have monsters and mythology that is their own.
