I've always loved writing stories and creating new places and people. I'm a bit of a day dreamer and so I thought instead of thinking about people I should write them down. In the past few years I've met other people who also love reading books and writing stories. They encouraged me to start writing and get them published.

I think Smashwords helps people to realise that you don't need to write Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings to get your work out there. You don't have to write a massive novel to get published but there is a market for independent short stories as well.

I think when I've finished a story and look back on it and be proud that I have produced something. I never write anything I'm not proud of or something that I don't want people to read so producing work and getting feedback from my friends and family is great.

I think I would say I'm far too early in my writing career (if I can call it that) to have fans but any feedback, hopefully positive or constructive would be welcome.

I'm working a couple of things currently My main project is my steam punk novel that I've been working on for about ten years and only now am I finally writing it down. However I'm hoping to publish my 'Happy Men' stories soon that are about a group of eccentric gay men.

That's a hard question. JK Rowling, Philip Pullman, Agatha Christie, Mervyn Peake, Neil Gaiman to name but a few. I go through stages of getting into an author and reading everything they've ever written. Right now I'm working through the complete works of Agatha Christie. But going back I read the Gormanghast trilogy when I was young and that made me want to write.

I have to get out of bed to walk the dog or go to work but each day I set myself a task or a challenge; today you are going to write a chapter of the book or write a short story. It can also be as simple as; today you are going to vacuum the house or change the sheets.

With my partner or my dog. I love reading books as well as writing. I've just bought a house so I'm learning to be a gardener, one shrub at a time. I like seeing my small but close group of friends and spending time with them either shopping or swimming.

To be honest you can never replace an actual paper book in my heart but ebooks are so useful for going on holiday. Most books I read are through recommendations or are written by an author I'm already familiar with.

Yes, it was a gothic horror called Satan's Creek about a small village that destroys itself because they're beloved tree doesn't flower and they blame a witch. Pretty dark for a thirteen year old to write.

I have to get in the mood to write, usually if I'm reading a book that I'm really getting on with I think, I can write as well and so I sit with my lap top on my knees and start writing. I can go for days without writing but then I sit down and write solidly for hours and hours.

I'm dyslexic and so reading was very hard for me and I just ignored it for years. Then one holiday my Mum bought me the Horrible History books by Terry Deary and I was hooked. They are a great introduction to reading. They have cartoons and pictures with captions, I started by looking at the pictures, then reading the captions, then the paragraphs and then the whole book. I then moved onto Rohl Dahl and read all of those.