As a journalist, my life was built around deadlines, and although I've left newspapers a long time ago to write full time, I'm still dominated by deadlines. Even when they're not there, I create them for myself.
At the moment, I'm writing a new novel which will be published in June 16 - I've already written one for January 2016. But from next year, Quercus will be publishing my Rosie Gilmour novels every six months. So the pressure is on! But it's good pressure, and I love what I'm doing, and the tighter deadlines I find make me work better.
It's easy for me to be a bit lazy and potter around wherever I am - in Scotland, my home in the West of Ireland, or in Spain. But with the new deadlines I have write every day. So far, so good, and I'm well down the line with this new novel.
I probably unconsciously miss the deadlines that were so strict on a daily newspaper, which meant wherever you were, you had to have your copy over on time. It certainly concentrates the mind.