Marlon James

It’s really more of a worry. I’m thinking, “Oh God, I hope somebody likes this.” As opposed to deliberately setting out to do it, I hope it happens. I write it with wishful thinking. But most of the time, though, I’m really just trying to write a good story. And I’m trying to write it as if I’m reading it. So, if something in my novel ends up being a surprise to somebody, it was a surprise to me when I wrote it. To me, it comes down to something that simple—I hope that they just enjoy it.

MARLON JAMES