'The freelance life is, in many ways, compatible with motherhood. I dropped bits of teaching, but mainly just said 'no' to unpaid work'

The freelance life is, in many ways, compatible with motherhood. I dropped bits of teaching, but mainly just said 'no' to unpaid work and my income barely changed. Breastfeeding allowed me lots of reading time; naps are blurb-length.

'Mark Cocker insisted that the secret to nature writing was patient, close observation; staying very still and watching very minutely.'

Mark Cocker insisted that the secret to nature writing was patient, close observation. Staying very still and watching very minutely, and then describing in great exactitude what you have seen. To that end, he set us exercises.

'Rejection is what happens as a creative; you just have to find ways to survive it. Of course, you can learn from it...'

Rejection is what happens as a creative; you just have to find ways to survive it. Of course, you can learn from it — rewrite, submit elsewhere, nothing's wasted etc. What I'm talking about is surviving the feelings.

'A reader might be in the mood for happily ever after. I might be in the mood for a killing spree. Technology allowed me to write both.'

A reader might be in the mood for happily ever after. I might be in the mood for a killing spree. Technology allowed me to write both, and others. And, as a result, it allowed a different reading experience, eleven times.

'Had I started anything freely — a poem or a description, a riff of dialogue or rough journal entries — my block may have dispersed.'

Had I started anything freely — a poem or a description, a riff of dialogue or rough journal entries — my block may have dispersed. But duty made me stick at the thesis and not diversify. I didn't know then what kind of writer I was.

'The sight of the plastic table and scratchy seats had a rather Pavlovian effect on me. I'd pull out my notebook and start scribbling without even thinking about it. '

The sight of the plastic table and scratchy seats had a rather Pavlovian effect on me. I'd pull out my notebook and start scribbling without even thinking about it. When I ran out of steam, I'd watch the semi-derelict factories of the Bradford suburbs pass.

'I was offered a Royal Literary Fund fellowship at my local university. It was a gift. I loved my teaching but I was burning out and needed some time away. '

I was offered a Royal Literary Fund fellowship at my local university. It was a gift. I loved my teaching but I was burning out and needed some time away. I'd have so much more time for writing. And yet I felt guilty that I had abandoned my pupils.

'They all had Things. Some of them sang. Some of them danced. Some of them wore funny clothes and sang and danced. I hadn't got a memo about doing anything.'

They all had Things. Some of them sang. Some of them danced. Some of them wore funny clothes and sang and danced. I hadn't got a memo about doing anything like that. Didn't you just do readings at festivals? Or get asked questions?

'What is my purpose? If my purpose is to write, then how does what I am doing in the present moment, serve that purpose? '

What is my purpose? If my purpose is to write, then how does what I am doing in the present moment, serve that purpose? What is the purpose of this piece of writing? How does each scene, each sentence, each word, serve that purpose?

'On the first of September I sat down at my desk and two female characters arrived. They were called Antonia and Jane. "Write about us!" they shouted. '

On the first of September I sat down at my desk and two female characters arrived. They were called Antonia and Jane. "Write about us!" they shouted. The screenplay finished itself ten days later... and was bought by Miramax in New York.