I can't offer too many pearls of wisdom on writing, except that I must be positive proof that anyone can get published, if they have the will. The biggest problem for new writers is also their best friend- the humble (or not so humble really) word processor. Last time I asked, it was estimated that just one major publisher in Australia receives around 6000 unsolicited manuscripts a year. "Unsolicited" means they didn't ask for them either from the author or an agent.

How can you beat odds like that? Well, the sad fact is 99% of those manuscripts are crap. Word processors and inkjet printers are allowing every man and his dog to bash out a novel without much thought for detail or quality- and send it off to a publisher more as a gamble than a serious exercise in the hope they'll be "discovered". Your task as a writer is to produce something so excellent that it rises above all these hacked-out stories and gets noticed in the brief opportunity it has.

So the emphasis is still on writing- on your ability to write.

In the past I'd be loathe to recommend any manuscript evaluation services, but lately some are being offered by accredited, freelance editors who work for publishers, too. They can therefore offer some good advice. You should check the Australian Society of Authors for the names of these services, or the NSW Writer's Association.

Whatever you do, if you're keen on writing, believe in yourself. Make a place and a time to write, like an office, and make sure the people around you treat your efforts seriously. If they won't, keep them out of your space when you work. I'm lucky to have a beautiful wife who only occasionally complains about how much time I spend on my "bloody computer", and the only kids I have are the four-legged type. I appreciate other people have more demands made on their time, but I still urge you to find that private place and regular time to write, and tell everyone else to respect it. If you've got no room, I recommend a good pair of headphones and some loud CD's- and make sure you can't see the TV!

Last, but certainly not least, I have plenty of great writing colleagues and I'll be creating a page of links soon, but if you're after more information on writing and getting published Ian Irving has plenty of advice to offer. Ian's a very successful Australian fantasy author. For the moment, just Google his name and a million hits will come up. Check out his website.