I started writing in the 1980s (well, I suppose I've always written, ever since I was a child). Back in the 80s, though, the world was a very different place. I wrote my first (non fiction) book longhand. As there was a tight deadline, my neighbour typed it up as I finished each section. I had to do 1000 words a day to meet the deadline – and I had a newborn baby!
The process meant there was little chance to revise – or if I made revisions, it meant retyping, and therefore, more cost to me. That imposed its own kind of discipline!
Now, of course, we all write straight onto computer and can cut and paste or delete and insert as much as I want. Maybe this makes the mind less focused?
The main advantage, of course, is that as authors, we can control as much or as little as we want to. As mainstream publishers have merged or disappeared, the route of traditional publishing has become increasingly difficult to crack – and for me, that's with the help of a terrific agent! But now I can take my career into my own hands and publish my own work – which is what I'm about to do!
Through this blog and the rest of this website, and with the help (I hope!) of my many writing friends, I'll be able to tell the world about my novels. And the exciting thing is, anything could happen!