While 'Visitation Street' has the markings of a traditional whodunnit mystery - starting with a missing girl, intrigue and many suspicious characters - Pochoda shows her hand early on by fingering a culprit. The book turns, then, into a 'whydunnit.' Claire Cameron More Quotes by Claire Cameron More Quotes From Claire Cameron The feat of surviving is directly related to the capacity of the survivor. Claire Cameron feats survivor capacity Many of my favorite survivors in fiction show that it may not be the most muscled, macho or mighty people who pull through. A strong mind and body arent always enough. You might also need a resilient heart. Claire Cameron strong heart people I was haunted by a bear attack that happened in Algonquin Park in 1991. The problem was that I dont believe in ghosts, so that ruled out an exorcism. My other choice was to start writing. Claire Cameron choices writing believe The body needs food, warmth and water, but your heart needs more. Claire Cameron heart water needs I would get a lot of writing done if I lived in isolation in a cave under a swamp. Claire Cameron caves done writing A young woman hiking alone in the mountains sounds dangerous. In the pre-cell phone era maybe it was, but Ill stop short of calling it foolish. Claire Cameron hiking phones cells How do you solve a mystery? How do you write a book? The techniques for starting both are surprisingly similar. Find an intriguing question and, pen and dagger tucked under cloak, search for clues. Claire Cameron technique writing book Parents spend a lot of time talking over kids. My son went through a vocabulary burst as I was writing The Bear. I thought, What if I just stopped and listened? Claire Cameron writing kids son I love the Internet, and I love wasting time on the Internet - even though it sometimes ends up being not being a waste of time. Claire Cameron wasting-time waste sometimes I like situations that push a character to the edge. Claire Cameron situation edges character What sets 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children' apart is Riggs's use of 'found' photographs as a spark of inspiration for the narrative. 'Found' describes art created from common objects that are not normally considered art. Claire Cameron spark home children art I find this mortifying to admit, but I have one of those balls that helps my posture. They're hard to sit on, so it stops me from sitting too long... I also wear a pair of 3M(TM) PELTOR(TM) Optime(TM) II Ear Muffs. They're the same ones that people wear on the tarmac among the planes - noise blockers. Claire Cameron me sitting long people I was hiking a five-day loop - alone - in the Rocky Mountains when I rounded the switchback and saw a large body on the trail ahead. It had brown fur with a cinnamon tinge that was draped across dense, humped back muscle. A broad head lifted and I could see the dish-shaped muzzle was catching my scent. I knew bears. This was a grizzly. Claire Cameron mountains alone back body I would have liked to be on the streets of Manhattan during 9/11. My working theory is that people are much kinder to each other in times of trauma than we tend to portray in our stories. Claire Cameron trauma streets theory people I cried most days working on the first draft. The last scenes were the hardest. I had a feeling where I wanted to end - the exact note - but I couldn't see how to get there. Sarah Murphy, my editor, asked the right questions to help me. I think of 'The Bear' as a hopeful book. Claire Cameron feeling think me book I'll settle for successful during my lifetime because at least I can be conscious of the delusion that it means something. Claire Cameron something because i-can successful I'm very rigid about my schedule. I sit down at 8 A.M., and the Internet blocker goes on. My standard time is 120 minutes. I'm a compulsive writer, so it reminds me to stop writing... If I write more than that, I turn into an ogre for my kids. Claire Cameron down me internet time Everything has the potential to be extraordinary, whether an old photograph, a book or a life. If you find it ordinary, you simply need to take a closer look. Claire Cameron look you life book A lot of people have trouble with their second novel - the dreaded sophomore jinx. I wrote three books in between the two novels, and they just weren't very good. Claire Cameron good three trouble people
