Writing a novel is a huge undertaking and tends to take over your life.  The process can have you awake and writing at 3 am, neglecting things like food and housework, and in a state of angst as you struggle with difficult scenes or the things that just aren’t falling into place. Once finished, people tell you what they think of it in a public forum, sometimes with brutal honesty, and for most authors, it provides little financial return for the time it takes to write it. You may wonder why anyone bothers. Inspiration is the culprit. It drives artists, even without their invitation. After completing my Diamond Peak Series, I could have written more books. I had ideas that would have made quite decent novels, but after six years of full time studying and practicing writing, I needed more balance in my life. I didn’t, and still don’t, want a book to take over my life like those four wonderful books did. It was a heady time, and the result of that labour is something quite … [Read more...]