I've been writing on and off for many years; my first published piece appearing in The Daily Mirror when I was 16 years old. During the following 20 years or so, I spent my days woolgathering while working in a variety of jobs. I never stopped writing, but my output was sporadic. Eventually, after working in a bookshop for four years, I took the decision to turn to writing full time. Writing isn’t ‘work’, it’s a passion. Many of those who do it will tell you they do it because they ‘can’t not’, and it’s fair to say I’m at my happiest and most fulfilled when I’m in the midst of a group of fellow writing nutcases, discussing books, the words that make them, the whole creative process. Nowadays, when I’m not writing, you’re likely to find me teaching, or editing, or working on a website design for another writer anxious to showcase her work. I'm currently working on a number of book edits, teaching locally, and trying to find time to write a couple of books of my own, both on the craft of writing. I belong to several writing organisations, including the Society of Women Writers & Journalists, of which I am currently Chair, and the Society of Authors.