My Characters Have To Talk, Or They're

If It Sounds Like Writing, I Rewrite It.

I Never See My Bad Guys As Simply Bad. They Want Pretty Much The Same Thing That You And I Want: They Want To Be Happy.

Bad Guys Are Not Bad Guys Twenty-four Hours A Day.

Avoid Prologues: They Can Be ­annoying, Especially A Prologue ­following An Introduction That Comes After A Foreword.

Never Use An Adverb To Modify The Verb 'said' . . . He Admonished Gravely. To Use An Adverb This Way (or Almost Any Way) Is A Mortal Sin. The Writer Is Now Exposing Himself In Earnest, Using A Word That Distracts And Can Interrupt The Rhythm Of The Exchange.