How old were you when you started writing? I was 38 when I started my first book. I had no intention of being an author when I started; I simply wanted to see if I could finish a book. I found a community of like-minded people and learned a ton about the creative process and the business side of writing. Once I finished that first book, I wondered if it was publish-worthy. It wasn’t. So I wrote another and another. My third book—after being rewritten a half-dozen times—finally sold. I didn’t enjoy writing in high school and college. My teachers had a way of destroying the pleasure of putting words on paper. I wrote to please them, not myself. What’s the most difficult part of being a full-time writer? What’s the most rewarding? Self-discipline. I write a novel every six months. I plan out my weeks of research, writing, and editing. I must stick to my schedule, or else I find myself in a stressful rush for the last month or two. The current book is always hanging over my head—it’s a cloud that never leaves. When I turn the book in, it’s immediately replaced by the next book. I…
