I am prone to despair. We are all born with a particular personality. I get afraid and then I don't want to leave the house.
I'm proud of what I write and feel endorsed by my readers.
I don't like this idea of division: that if you're a clever woman then you've got to be a particular way. Because men don't. Men please themselves.
I went grey at 12, my eyesight went at 17. I've been a crock from very early on.
I think denial's fascinating. It's a jokey word, but it really happens, and sometimes in enormous ways.
I haven't had Botox because my face is a bit lopsided and I depend on keeping everything animated so that people don't notice.
I've always been melancholic. At a party, everyone would be looking at the glittering chandeliers and I'd be looking at the waitress's cracked shoes.
I've kind of realised life is meant to be tough and everybody is in psychic and spiritual discomfort of some sort and has a burden to carry. I've realised I'm not special.
I think reviewers are sexist... This isn't to sound bitter, but I think you're more likely to get a critical kicking if you're a woman. I just think that's a fact. I really think less value is put in general on women's voices, across the board.
When I first met my husband, he had a very good job - company car, pension plan, grudging respect from his staff - the lot. I, on the other hand, was badly paid and devoid of ambition. Then I had a couple of books published and confounded all expectations by starting to earn more than he did.
People promise to stick with their spouse 'for richer or poorer' but it's the 'for poorer' part that causes the worry. The big shock is that the 'for richer' bit can also cause problems.
For feel-good fiction to work, there has to be an element of darkness.
I still get awful depression. It's who I am.
Do I mind being called a chick-lit writer? Well, it's not the worst thing that could happen.
My truth is that what doesn't kill you makes you weaker rather than stronger, although it makes you wiser.
Men can be men and still get excited about other men kicking a ball around and they're never mocked, whereas it's easy for women to take mocking on board, to be belittled. Because we're used to it.
I used to feel defensive when people would say, 'Yes, but your books have happy endings', as if that made them worthless, or unrealistic. Some people do get happy endings, even if it's only for a while. I would rather never be published again than write a downbeat ending.
As I get older the stars have gone from my eyes more, and I see that life is just something that has to be lived with, that it's better not to struggle.
I've never made a secret of the fact that I'd have loved to have children.
Writing about feeling disconnected has enabled me to connect, and that has been the most lovely thing of all.
