#Plot

"When all the details fit in perfectly, something is probably wrong with the story."

"I hate when people ask what a book is about. People who read for plot, people who suck out the story like the cream filling in an Oreo, should stick to comic strips and soap operas. . . . Every book worth a damn is about emotions and love and death and pain. It's about words. It's about a man dealing with life. Okay?"

"Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth."

"Having a sense of purpose is having a sense of self. A course to plot is a destination to hope for."

"I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief... I'm not in the business of offending people. I find the books upholding certain values that I think are important, such as life is immensely valuable and this world is an extraordinarily beautiful place. We should do what we can to increase the amount of wisdom in the world.[Washington Post interview, 19 February 2001]"

"A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises."