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In the flurry of coverage following his death, I was reminded of this advice for writing a short story: 1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. 2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. 3. Every character...

"Anything but a book," she said. "I have one."

In the time that we have lived in our fourth-floor walk-up, we have accumulated 2,000 books. It was all so gradual and easy, but now we have to move them. Any advice, tips, commiseration? Thanks.

Here perhaps is a little philosophical game. In the fifth book, the Department of Mysteries has twelve rooms, but we learn about only six of them: Death. Time. Space. Clairvoyance. Thought. Love. What do you think are six more of the great mysteries that deserve rooms?

A lot of my dreams start by whatever adventure I'm going to get into interrupting my reading. I also handle books a lot in my dreams; they are a standard prop. And last night I dreamed I found a rare set in my collection (30 volumes that I hadn't noticed before), and spent the rest of the...

Have you ever had a crush on a character from a novel or story? When I was twelve, I had a crush on Huckleberry Finn. People think he's naughty and a bad influence; but really he's so innocent and misunderstood. He needed me by his side. Anyway, how about your crushes?

Midnight on Friday, my husband and I will have our niece at the bookstore to buy the sixth book. We did it for the fifth book too. The hype got us. What can I say?

Learn how: Start with these three articles from the Science Fiction Writers of America. The advice applies to all fiction, not just SF. Avoiding standard errors in writing Critiquing outline Murder Your Darlings Some introductory advice about dialogue...

This is a game. List your three favorite animals, in order. List three adjectives that you feel apply to each animal. When we have gotten a bunch of responses, I will explain the meaning of the game. I'll start: 1. Giraffe. Tall, quiet, oddly graceful. 2. Cat. Affectionate...

What goes into your decision about whether to buy a book or borrow it from the library?

Do you lend books to friends? Do you borrow books from them? Any repercussions?

That all bookstores and libraries should be open twenty-four hours a day.

Your thoughts?

The original is here, from the New York Times (free registration required). It says something about the nesting habits of certain bookish New Yorkers that when a shopper took a wrong turn out of the Strand one day, he wandered into Hank O'Neal's apartment and mistook it for an annex of...

I would like to say cookies and chocolate, but it's usually crackers or popcorn. So, what do you eat while you read?