At the heart of every story is conflict - whether external or internal, make it a good one, and remember that this problem is going to shape your character, leaving her forever changed.

I've never done a sequel - so far, there have been too many new stories and characters calling my name.

I think of setting as almost a character of its own, influencing the other characters in ways they're not even aware of. So much of the success of a good ghost story rides on creating a creepy atmosphere; details of the landscape itself can help create a sense of dread.

If there was a way to bring someone back, would you do it, no matter what the consequences might be? I know that for me, my logical mind says, 'Of course not!' But the truth is, when you lose someone who is so close to you, it's as if they are a part of you; there's always one more thing to say, one more moment you wish you'd had.

I think any time you have a workplace that's heavily weighted to men just by the nature of what it is, the same way you can say PR or fashion is heavily occupied by women, there's always going to be a little bit of that sexism.

Writing for children is an art in itself, and a most interesting one.

I'm living by example by continuing on with my career and having a full, rich life, and I am incidentally gay.

I deal with creativity all the time. What I have fun with is trying to transform creativity into business reality all over the world. To do this, you have to be connected to innovators and designers but also make their ideas livable and concrete.