"When I first pitched my Navy tent on the island of Espiritu Santo to the north of Vila, the natives ..." — 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.