A book can take a long time to write, so it’s important to have the right people around you. The difference between success and failure is making sure you have a supportive team. Here are my top 5 allies.

1. My writing buddy. This is the person who reads my work & gives me constructive feedback. She also sometimes gives me a proverbial kick when I’ve slackened off.
2. My family. They put up with me when I’m deep in the writing process and become absent minded, like putting muesli in the fridge or burning the rice on the stove.
3. My health. Writing requires ‘bum glue’ according to Bryce Courtney. That means a lot of sitting which is unhealthy. I do yoga, go for walks and go to the gym to keep physically active.
4. My special things. Sometimes I light incense to encourage a positive mood and my special notebook and gel pens to write with.
5. My champions. These can be friends or strangers who write and tell me how my story moved them. I recently had a spontaneous review from an Indian scholar and author who totally ‘got’ my novel The Pagoda Tree. It’s very special when a reader really understands you.