“Love affairs, in their beginnings, are all about the present. But there is a point in each--an event, an exchange, some other unseen trigger--which forces the past and the future back into focus.”

“The past and the future are not a collection of instants shared by all space, but a collection of events that correspond to a possible relation of causal order with the present event.”

“Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins. ”

“A related question is where in time to begin. Should you begin far back in a character's past and move forward, or should you begin in the present and make use of flashbacks only where necessary? ... If the material with which you want to open the story is from the character's deep past, then there has to be an important relationship between what has happened in the past and what is about to happen. In other words, is the material with which you open the story an arrow pointing toward the unified effect?”

“The present is the transition point between the past and future and flows like a river moving towards the ocean of one’s life. One who lives in the present is neither burdened by the weight of the past nor troubled by foreseen events in the future. One who lives in the present is open to all experiences --the gentle sound of the wind rustling in the leaves, the blazing sight of the setting sun, the light touch of a spring rain, the fresh smell of green grass, the salty taste of ocean spray. The present is the past and future rolled into one. The present is here. The present is now.”

“To live a more balanced life, glance at the past, live in the present, and focus on the future.”