Nora Roberts Quotes

Mary Stewart will always be my goddess. I can pick up one of her early books - one I`ve read a dozen times - and still slide right into the story.

I loved the process of writing.

I believe strongly in writing groups such as Romance Writers Of America that offer support, information and networking.

One of my greatest pleasures is falling into a story someone else has written.

I`ve never felt category is restrictive.

Action, reaction, motivation, emotion, all have to come from the characters. Writing a love scene requires the same elements from the writer as any other.

What I write deals with relationships, with making families. It just follows that I would often write about family and what it means.

I decided to write category romance as I`d recently discovered them, and enjoyed them.

Actually, I find it great fun to develop family series with lots of characters.

First, I really believe that since writer is a term without genre, a good one should be able to write believable male and female characters.

If you write in category, you write knowing there`s a framework, there are reader expectations.

I don`t believe for one moment you can write well what you wouldn`t read for pleasure.

I`d always loved to read - and come from a family of readers - but I never thought about writing as a career.

If a book`s moving well, or I was interrupted over six million times through the day, I`ll usually go back and write for another hour or two.

My own sense of family, where I came from and what I made for myself is an important part of my life.

I find I use the Internet more and more. It`s just an invaluable tool. I do most of my research on the Net now - and certainly do the bulk of my communicating through email.

I`ve gotten to know a number of readers from being online, and really treasure the time I`ve spent with them.

I do indeed write on the road. My laptop goes with me everywhere.

I read a lot - and I read a variety of genres.

I need to write to be happy.

I just don`t depend on inspiration much.

In the summer of `80, Silhouette bought my first book.

You don`t find time to write. You make time. It`s my job.

Now, I`ll say this. I`ve never taking a course on writing. I`ve never read a book on writing. This isn`t something that would work for me.

I`ll usually work until about four or five - take a short break mid day to run through the email that`s come in or read and post on the boards.

The most important aspect of any story, to me, is character.

I don`t think you can write - at least not well - if you don`t love stories, love the written word.

Every single book is a challenge.

I don`t fiddle or edit or change while I`m going through that first draft.

For over a year I continued to submit mss, and have them rejected - the last few with rejection letters indicated the story was pretty good, but I was American.

Every writer has to figure out what works best - and often has to select and discard different tools before they find the one that fits.

Each of my characters comes from somewhere, and where they come from, good or bad, has a large part in forming who they are, and who they can become.

And each book has to receive your best effort every single time. No slacking.

I don`t base any character on a real person, and really don`t do composites either. I make them up.

Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart. And they both take practice.

I long for typical days, but rarely get them any more.

Certainly the plagiarism, and dealing with the fallout of it, was the most difficult thing I`ve ever faced since I started writing.

Aren`t most romance heros, or heros in fiction of any kind, generally superior to real men? Same goes for heroines and real women.

I generally write a first draft that`s pretty lean. Just get the story down.

I would hope that my writing`s cleaner than it was when I started.