I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do as a money-making job.

I had an interest in Scandinavian countries because I'd never seen snow.

People speak of the fear of the blank canvas as though it is a temporary hesitation, a trembling moment of self-doubt. For me it was more like being abducted from my bed by a clown, thrust into a circus arena with a wicker chair, and told to tame a pissed-off lion in front of an expectant crowd.

Most writers are drawn to what is unknown, rather than what is clear in any tale.