I'll often rush out from Dark Shadows, having made a 5.30PM appointment, working for a couple of hours.
I asked a French critic a couple of years ago why my books did so well in France. He said it was because in my novels people both act and think. I got a kick out of that.
I learned patience, perseverance, and dedication. Now I really know myself, and I know my voice. It's a voice of pain and victory.