I’ve got a lot of literary balls up in the air at the moment! The dilemma I find myself facing is that I’m only focusing on one of those balls…

My goal is to earn a living from writing books. Currently, I’m working part-time as an English teacher and caring for my kids and dog. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for writing novels.

I’m not a high-tech writer. I don’t use Evernote or OneNote. I don’t even insist on a top-notch fountain pen – any old ballpoint will do. However, there are six essential tools I need to be an author.

I often use my morning walk with Mick (my dog) to plot my novels, plan scenes and rehearse dialogue in my head. This morning I found myself in deep and delightful discourse with two of the characters from The Lark’s Call.