Claire Cameron Quotes

#1. 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

#2. A young woman hiking alone in the mountains sounds dangerous. In the pre-cell phone era maybe it was, but I'll stop short of calling it foolish.

Claire Cameron

#3. 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

#4. I'll settle for successful during my lifetime because at least I can be conscious of the delusion that it means something.

Claire Cameron

#5. 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

#6. I was haunted by a bear attack that happened in Algonquin Park in 1991. The problem was that I don't believe in ghosts, so that ruled out an exorcism. My other choice was to start writing.

Claire Cameron

#7. 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

#8. I like situations that push a character to the edge.

Claire Cameron

#9. I would get a lot of writing done if I lived in isolation in a cave under a swamp.

Claire Cameron

#10. 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

#11. The body needs food, warmth and water, but your heart needs more.

Claire Cameron

#12. The feat of surviving is directly related to the capacity of the survivor.

Claire Cameron

#13. 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

#14. 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

#15. 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

#16. Words could be empty. It was the return of a gesture that held meaning. And

Claire Cameron

#17. 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

#18. 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

#19. 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 aren't always enough. You might also need a resilient heart.

Claire Cameron