It's all about who's where on the food chain. When I'm the story editor, I expect my writers to follow my vision. When I'm working for another editor, I'm obliged to follow their vision.
I try not to violate what came before me and to leave lots of wiggle room for those who will follow.
A true friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else.
You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a beginning, a middle, and an end.
I was a very sickly kid. While I was in the hospital at age 7, my Dad brought me a stack of comic books to keep me occupied. I was hooked.
When someone writes to tell me something I've written made them laugh or cry, I've done my job and done it well. The rest is all semantics.