Look At Jane Austen. Her

I Was Getting Rewarded For Writing Well, From About The Age Of Five Or Six. A Teacher Would Say, "look What Andrew Has Written," And I Thought, "maybe I Could Be A Writer."

I Had A Very High Opinion Of My Father's Judgement Of Things And He Said, "you Better Get A Job That Pays The Bills Because A Writer Doesn't Make Any Money. If Possible, Get A Job That Allows You To Write In Your Spare Time."

I Prefer Love Scenes To Be Shot Up Close With A Lot Of Focus On Eyes And Mouths. Otherwise It Can Feel Uncomfortable And Voyeuristic.

Taking The Humour Out Of Dickens, It's Not Dickens Any More.

I'm Absolutely Delighted If People Think Of Me As A Reliable Purveyor Of Quality Period Stuff.