Part of me becomes the characters I'm writing about. I think readers feel like they are there, the way I am, as a result.
I jog in the morning and then write for about two hours. There are times when I'm really excited and can't wait to get back to it. But there are days when I don't know what's coming next, and I really have to force it.
It's – I write the books and let the market find who reads it. I guess a young adult is anywhere from ten to fifteen.
The best morals kids get from any book is just the capacity to empathize with other people, to care about the characters and their feelings. So you don't have to write a preachy book to do that. You just have to make it a fun book with characters they care about, and they will become better people as a result.
When I write a novel, every word is mine. I welcome suggestions from my editor, but in the end, I make all the final decisions.
I write in the mornings, two or three hours every day, and then at least four times a week I play in a duplicate game at a bridge club. I try to go to tournaments three, four, or five times a year.
I guess what led to me writing 'Holes' was having moved to Texas in 1991, and it was sort of my reaction to Texas.
