I Read A Lot Of Biographies And

My First Novel Was Rejected By Some Of The Most Eminent Publishers In The World. Starting Again Was A Real Wrench.

At The Age Of 12 I Won The School Prize For Best English Essay. The Prize Was A Copy Of Somerset Maugham's 'introduction To Modern English And American Literature.' To This Day I Keep It On The Shelf Between My Collection Of Forester's Works And The Little Urn That Contains My Mother's Ashes.

I'm Not A Good Father And They're Not Children Any More; The Eldest Is In His Fifties. My Relationship With Their Mothers Broke Down And, Because Of What The Law Was, They Went With Their Mothers And Were Imbued With Their Mothers' Morality In Life And They Were Not My People Any More.

Usually Halfway Through A Book I Have A Serious Depression, So I Go On Safari On My Ranch In South Africa, Or Fishing Off My Island In The Seychelles. When I Come Back And Re-read It, I Think: 'what Was All That About, Smith? It's Fine, Just Get On With It.'

Write For Yourself, Not For A Perceived Audience. If You Do, You'll Mostly Fall Flat On Your Face, Because It's Impossible To Judge What People Want. And You Have To Read. That's How You Learn What Is Good Writing And What Is Bad. Then The Main Thing Is Application. It's Hard Work.