Tête-à-Tête with Hosseini

I had an opportunity to put forth my amateur questions to one of the most popular writers, Khaled Hosseini, and he was kind enough to take time to answer my questions. 

Me: All the three books are beautifully written. I, as a reader, have picked up very attractive and striking lines and have quoted it often in given proper contexts. Did you intentionally come up with such axioms or did it happen by chance?

Hosseini: Once I inhabit the characters - the writing comes naturally but arduously at times.

Me: While creating your characters and placing them in particular geographical areas of Afghanistan, what were the difficulties you faced in order to recreate (from memory) the actual Afghanistan settings?

Hosseini: My first novel was written all by memory but my second and third novels were written after visiting Afghanistan several times for refugee missions.

Me: Did you allow the characters to tell their own tales or did you design them in such a way wherein you had complete control over their actions?

Hosseini: The characters inhabit my mind in a very real way. They become these living beings almost with their own identity, but they are created by my imagination.

Me: You have dealt with themes of war/love/intimacy/relationships in your books. With respect to these mixed aspects, do you think being a writer is a gift or a curse?

Hosseini: Definitely a gift to allow readers to become familiar with Afghanistan and how we are all human and share the same stories regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Me: As a novelist, what points would you like to recommend to the potential young writers?

Hosseini: Read voraciously.