If there was one thing I agreed with my mother on, it was that one could never be sure about a person’s intentions, no matter how kind that person se… - Peace Adzo Medie

Not everyone who smiles with you wishes you well.

Stories serve so many purposes. We need them because they document our truths, they magnify our dreams, they teach, they entertain, they inspire.

But when I'm thinking about starting a book, I want in those first few pages for the reader to get a good sense of who the main characters are, but also a good sense of the tension or conflict that is going to propel the book forward. So in those first few pages or the first chapter, by the time you get to the end of that chapter, you have a good sense of the characters, and you have a good sense of what is driving them, and what is driving the story. That's what I aim for.