My pieces come from my experiences as a reader. And as a reader I am very demanding. Whether it be fiction or non-fiction, I don't want the writer bending over backwards in order to please me. I have to do the hard work as well. I am as active as the writer. Right now I am one third into Rushdie's latest, Quichotte, and it's a joy to read. Rushdie is one of the more playful writers there is. Above all, he displays a trait I take into my own writing: write for yourself, first and foremost. That's how you create the magic. :-)