Over the weekend I had a chat re the editing of A Greater World and discovered the sad truth that with 120,000 words it’s going to take longer and cost more than I anticipated. Worth it however to ensure there are no howlers. No matter how anal one is, it’s always possible for errors to creep in and one’s own brain renders them invisible.

Today I’ve been working on the new book – working title Kuranji Flowers – more on this later. I’ve been working out more detail on the plot and structure – something I didn’t do in advance with A Greater World and as a result spent far longer than necessary rewriting and restructuring. It was inevitable with AGW though as I hadn’t a clue what it was going to be about when I started writing.

Writers are always asked about the creative process and I think it all boils down to sitting down, creasing the brow, sharpening the pencil and bending over a hot Mac. Discipline is essential as, if you’re like me, there are always distractions and opportunities for procrastination. I am the mistress of the Displacement Activity. When I do start though it’s amazing how productive I can be – I get in the groove and lose track of time. But it’s all about sitting down and actually making the decision to write and not moving until you’ve started. For some thoughts on clearing brain clutter, see the piece I wrote the other day for makeitandmendit.com How to de-clutter your head.