I have only one understanding of development and of making success, and that's by going step by step.

I like learning more about people; I like to talk to people.

It needs time. Nobody wants to hear it, but that's the truth: if you want to have success in the future, you have to be ready to work now.

The challenge is to stay cool enough to handle the pressure in the moment so that you can succeed in the future.

Talent is crucial. It needs to be driven by motivation, but blind ambition isn't the key.

For me, songwriting is something I have to do ritually. I don't just wait for inspiration; I try to write a little bit every day.

Periodically, I return to the classics for inspiration and refreshment.

All the Midkemia stories are part of a 'history of an imaginary place,' so I've always known the cycle covered five rift wars. I just got to the end after 30 books. So there was no particular inspiration, save it was time to finish the whole shebang.