Why do you write? Why did you want to become an author?

I’ve gotten variations of this question a lot and it boils down to a few reasons that can be summed up in a few different ideas: it was very practical, it was so much fun, and it was a way to show my family I wasn’t as stupid as they thought.

After my divorce when my kids were still in early elementary school, I had traditional skills to fall back on as a career. I’ve sold insurance in several states and I’ve been a teacher, but managing traditional full-time jobs with young kids wasn’t easy. (As I’m sure a lot of you know.)

For the past couple of years, one of the conventions I’ve been going to is with other authors. It meets in Vegas in November, and that week is filled with classes and random discussions. It always gives me a boost and makes me so much more productive once I’m home, but one of the conversations that always crops up is what the future looks like.

Newbie author? What does working full-time as an author look like to you?

Established author? What does your next step look like?