So, as we all know, it is Nanowrimo, with many of us smack in the middle of scratching out 50,000 words this month.  (I'm not doing it because I'm rewriting my novel but I'm cheering on everyone else who is writing!)  The lovely people at Webeducator asked me a few questions about writing–in celebration of Nanowrimo, they are posting interviews with various writers on their website.  So here are my answers:

• What were your goals when you started writing?  Just to find a way to make writing a regular part of my life.  I love writing–have since I was a little girl.  It is something that I absolutely need to do, I get antsy and anxious when I don't write.  So I really wanted to find a way to make writing my vocation and my avocation.
• What are your goals now? To write my next novel and for it to be as successful as it possibly can be.  I'm also looking to fill my writing workshop/retreat in France in September of 2015.  And to be the best teacher and coach that I possibly can be.
• What pays the bills now?  My teaching, coaching, and related activities.
• Assuming writing doesn't pay the bills, what motivates you to keep writing?  Because I love it so much.  Writing novels and short stories is how I make sense of the world, what gives it meaning to me.  Without it, I'm not sure what I'd do.
• And optionally, what advice would you give young authors hoping to make a career out of writing? Write because you love it first.  Work at your craft and constantly strive to improve.  If you're open to finding creative ways to make a career out of writing, you can do it!

I think my favorite question of all of these is the last–what advice would you give to young writers? So I will turn it around and ask you, my beloved readers, the same thing.  What advice would you give to young writers?  Tell us in the comments, please.