Terry McMillan

“I don't live my life as a writer. I'm a mother, an African-American woman, and I do everything that everybody else does - cook and a little bit of cleaning.”

“As far as young kids go, my primary interest is to get parents to read to their kids. That's about the most you can do, I think.”

“Few writers are willing to admit writing is autobiographical.”

“I can't stand that - those women in 'Waiting to Exhale' now. I can't stand them. But that's because I'm 53 and not 33. But what they were experiencing at 33, I identified with it.”

“What's universal is the texture of our relationships. It's evolving. Times are changing with the women's movement. Men's roles are being redefined and, in some ways, they're confused.”

“People need to be re - sometimes we need to reinvent ourselves and then get reacquainted with our better selves.”

“I also discovered that you can get used to a man , much like you do a household pet!”

“I try to create characters that I am fascinated by on some level or intrigued by or can't stand.”

“I'm more interested in interpersonal relationships - between lovers families, siblings. That's why I write about how we treat each other.”

“My stories are character driven.”

“I'm not an angry woman. I'm not bitter.”

“You know, one of my fears about living alone so long is that you get used to doing everything your own way.”

“I would like to think that as a result of not just my own experiences, but at least being empathetic and compassionate about other people's experiences and plights and tragedies, that I am affected by it and learn from it.”

“I pray for my children. That they stay safe and make good decisions. That they be happy, thoughtful, and caring human beings. That they have the strength to get up if they fall down.”

“Write from your heart, and God will take care of the rest.”

“There is a price for popularity. Critics look for your weaknesses, your flaws, anything that makes the work seem like a fluke and not seem worthy of all the attention it's getting.”

“It takes me forever to say my prayers these days, but I don't care, because this time around, I want to make sure God doesn't have to do any guesswork.”

“I pray for my mother. That if she can't ever recover what she's lost or what she's losing, that she not feel like she's lost. I pray that we make her feel necessary and valued as long as possible. That she comes to know comfort, even if I can't provide it myself.”

“I like doing the readings and the autographing, but the interviewing gets a little tedious because you get asked the same questions every day and sometimes three or four times a day.”

“I don't let negative criticism, for the most part, bother me.”