There’s no one-size-fits-all answer but I follow the advice given to screenwriters—if a detail doesn’t advance plot or characterization, I cut it out in favour of detail that will.

I love the old joke that stealing from one person is plagiarism but stealing from a lot of people is research.

I was railing the other day about good advice (“write every day”) given too often in the wrong circumstances. But today I feel rhapsodic about the one piece of good advice that has never failed me…

I would bet money that the piece of advice most often given to writers is “Write every day.” I’ve probably given it myself a few thousand times.