Because you are so prolific, how much time do you actually spend writing and do you have periods where you get writer's block and simply cannot do any more?

I don�t like to call it writer�s block, because I think writer�s block is the purview of people who don�t need to pay the rent with money made from writing.

When I have difficulty finding my voice on a particular day, I don�t tend to get up and walk away from it. What I do, unfortunately, is I check my email several thousand times.

I do keep at it until I am forced by the constraints of time to surrender for the day. I do tend to work hours that are much like any other job. I tend to work from 8.30am to 5.30pm and then, if I am behind on a deadline (which seems to happen far too often of late) I will work on the weekend or at night as well to try to catch up.

It�s a time-consuming process. Deadlines do not go away, and there are frequently days where, by three o�clock or even earlier, I�ll say, "Gee, I�ll just take the rest of the day off." Then I think, "What if I could get four or five pages done between now and the time I would normally have quit. At least that�s something."