I think the biggest lesson I've learned is to trust your instincts.

小说的终极目标是创造一个比现实本身更真实的世界。

That's exhilarating if you're doing well, and very crushing if you're not. It leads, in the worst cases -- in the analysis of a sociologist like Emil Durkheim -- it leads to increased rates of suicide. There are more suicides in developed, individualistic countries than in any other part of the world. And some of the reason for that is that people take what happens to them extremely personally -- they own their success, but they also own their failure.

"Art is not about what you see, but what you make others see."