Sentences or solutions occur to me in the shower, or while running on the treadmill, or riding on the subway.

It took me years to learn that sentences in fiction must do much more than stand around and look pretty.

I first started writing fiction in college because I was attracted to beautiful sentences. I loved to read them. I wanted to write them.

I like to edit my sentences as I write them. I rearrange a sentence many times before moving on to the next one. For me, that editing process feels like a form of play, like a puzzle that needs solving, and it's one of the most satisfying parts of writing.

These days, I like to think of sentences as workers. Only one of their jobs is to look and sound good. Sentences are the carriers of plot. They're the conjurers of images, the conveyors of tone and meaning and voice. The best sentences surprise us.

Take the bus or the subway if you are in a big city, ... Don't use the shower so long. Don't use the dishwasher unless it's full.