Writers' communities are very helpful to writers because it gives them a way to try out their stuff short of publication.

I get my ideas for books from my own kids and sometimes from other children. Often when I am telling stories I will say: I am going to make up a new story.

If you don't remember childhood and you idealize it, you can't write books for kids because they're not real. Kids pick that up.

I tell the stories in front of audiences and wait for something to happen. It's similar to a standup comic doing his schtick for an audience.

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Writing is a bit like swimming. You learn writing by doing it and you learn swimming by doing it. Nobody learns how to swim by reading a book about swimming and nobody learns how to write by reading a book about writing. If you want to learn how to write, write a lot and you will get better at it.