‘Just write. Even if no one ends up reading it, every piece of writing you produce goes towards honing your craft!’
‘[Collaborative writing] can work wonderfully. Having someone you trust give an opinion about your latest idea helps a lot.’
‘Try to get words down if you can – every little bit adds up. But don’t be hard on yourself if some days it doesn’t happen. I’ve had plenty of days that have been wiped off and I’m still trying to tell myself that ‘it’s okay’.’
‘I believe that most writing comes from the body, and so I try to tap into that in early drafts. Music and photography, the visual and aural — and most of all, emotion — help me in that process.’
‘I promised myself I would always work towards understanding and being an advocate for Black Rights.’
‘The short story form demands a respect for the limitations of time and space, and enables a focus on the particular, the intimate, and the fleeting.’
‘I want story and forward momentum. For me, this is what crime delivers’
‘Language has always been the tool I choose to work with … I think that there is no end to what we can do with language and no end to what we can learn about it, and from it.’
‘I want the reader to become immersed in my characters’ worlds and have a sensory as well as a literary experience.’