I'll be honest. I totally love getting mail from readers, and I answer all of it. Not that the volume of it is totally overwhelming or anything, which may have something to do with the lack of certain undead bloodsuckers or girls who fall in love with cursed, yet remarkably attractive monsterboys.
But the other day, I received a stack of real, honest-to-god, paper letters from kids at a high school I recently visited, where I gave a talk about being a writer. I thought I'd share a few excerpts from them here:
...Having you at our school helped me concentrate and focus more on my writing. (PS) You inspire me!
...I would love to study English and write novels, but it isn't a high enough success rate for me to depend on. So it will always be my goal to write, but I also have to remember my priorities and get a steady job for my family and all.
...Honestly, I do not read nearly as much as a young man my age should, but hearing some of your accomplishments inspired me to get out and read more. It opened my eyes and made me see reading more often on my own will only help me in the long run. Before your presentation, I did not exactly think that way.
...I often have ideas for stories and your advice on just writing down everything, even if it's not perfect, has given me a new perspective on writing.
