“Problem is, once I sit at my desk and put all these down on paper. I realize something vital is missing. It doesn't crystallize - no crystals, just pebbles. And I'm not transported anywhere.”

“My head is like some ridiculous barn packed full of stuff Iwant to write about,” she said. “Images, scenes, snatches ofwords … in my mind they’re all glowing, all alive. Write! theyshout at me. A great new story is about to be born I can feel it.It’ll transport me to some brand-new place. Problem is, once Isit at my desk and put them all down on paper, I realizesomething vital is missing. It doesn’t crystallize—no crystals,just pebbles. And I’m not transported anywhere.”

“Once you finally decided to stand for great things in your life, it becomes crystal clear to all of the bad things you refuse to sit down for any longer.”

“We need to get to the other side of the lake if you want to help the fairies,” said Mikolay.We could use my crystal ball for transportation,” suggested Julia pulling out a small crystal ball out of her pocket.”

“Because Christmas did something to the world at large and to individuals in particular. It crystallized all your hopes and fears. It made you yearn and wish and dream. And no matter how hard you tried—it made you realize all the things you were missing in life.”

“I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind. If it were clear in my mind, I should have no incentive or need to write about it.... We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.”