"If there was a turning point for me, it was 'The Bridges at Toko-Ri.' It is a very fine short novel...." — James A. Michener

I have only one bit of advice to the beginning writer: Be sure your novel is read by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Whenever I start a book, I swear it's going to be a short one. But then it's, 'Who was his grandfather? And how did he get there in the first place? And what kind of animals is he chasing?'

Honest to God, I do all the research on these books myself.

I know the world of opera so intimately: historical sweep, sharply defined characters, not too rational an explanation of what's going on. It's a feast.