I was going to write an article based on a suggestion from Nissa Harlow but I thought it might be seriously dull. So, instead I will quickly answer the question of whether I always wanted to be a writer.

I did not, simply because I did not think it was possible. Back when I was a kid, books were like a magic thing that appeared out of nowhere. I thought they made them in libraries, for goodness sake. I wanted to be a professional football (soccer) player first, like most Scottish kids. When it was obvious I had not talent, I thought about working in a bank. I have always been good with numbers, like some weird natural talent. It wasn’t until much later in life that writing full-time even entered my mind.