Just finished writing my next novel and I am doing the hardest bit now - proofing. It takes me ages and I absolutely detest it. But things have to be right and it's an insult to your publisher and your reading public not to take every care to ensure spelling, punctuation, syntax and all the other horrors are effectively covered so that the finished product is as sound as you can possibly make it. Trouble is, I have a vivid imagination and this particular novel has it's own special horrors too in the form of poisonous spiders, which has caused me a few sleepless nights, as I am, to my shame, a total arachnophobe! Why do authors do it to themselves and write about something that frightens the life out of them? I suppose because we think that if it frightens us, it sure as hell is likely to frighten the readers and that's all part of the game, isn't it?
David Hodges