You want to feel that your reader does identify with the characters so that there's a real entry into the story - that some quality speaks to the individual.

The first draft is all about freedom, and if loyalty is in question, it is only my loyalty to the characters and situations on the page. All the worries about where the material may have sprung from or what so-and-so might think can be dealt with later.

I think too many people edit themselves way too soon. There's plenty of time to edit, and it is a crucial part of it all, too.

Jill McCorkle Quotes