The feat of surviving is directly related to the capacity of the survivor.
The body needs food, warmth and water, but your heart needs more.
Many of my favorite survivors in fiction show that it may not be the most muscled, macho or mighty people who pull through. A strong mind and body arent always enough. You might also need a resilient heart.
I was haunted by a bear attack that happened in Algonquin Park in 1991. The problem was that I dont believe in ghosts, so that ruled out an exorcism. My other choice was to start writing.
I would get a lot of writing done if I lived in isolation in a cave under a swamp.
A young woman hiking alone in the mountains sounds dangerous. In the pre-cell phone era maybe it was, but Ill stop short of calling it foolish.
How do you solve a mystery? How do you write a book? The techniques for starting both are surprisingly similar. Find an intriguing question and, pen and dagger tucked under cloak, search for clues.
Parents spend a lot of time talking over kids. My son went through a vocabulary burst as I was writing The Bear. I thought, What if I just stopped and listened?
I love the Internet, and I love wasting time on the Internet - even though it sometimes ends up being not being a waste of time.
I like situations that push a character to the edge.
