It’s exhilarating. It’s hard work. It can be impossibly glamorous when you identify with Carrie at her book launch in Sex and the City.

And sometimes it can be a little lonely.

Because apart from your agent, and your editor, and maybe a couple of patient friends, you’re living in the land of make believe for the majority of your working day. Your fingers are typing words that these characters that live in your head are saying to each other, and it often feels voyeuristic, that you’re intruding and then reporting on something.

But that’s not to say it’s not fun.

I’ve been writing novels for a couple of years now, but it’s only been very recently that I’ve done it full-time. That’s right, I packed in the day job and now have taken residence on the sofa in denim skirts and Hollister hoodies. I have an office – well, a spare bedroom with a desk – where I can write. But there’s something quite decadent about working from your sofa. Your fingers might slip and … ooops, the television’s on. And it definitely makes commuting a hell of a lot easier.

It can be hard, too. If you have writer’s block – which I get if I’m going down a path that’s not right for my plot, or if I deliberately want to play with my kittens – it can be frustrating. If you’re in a taxi and the driver asks you what you do for a living, and then he accuses you of being a student who’s taking the piss, that can be difficult too.

However, those teeny tiny cons are way out-weighed by the pros. I get to meet other authors (and I’m always starstruck by them in a goofy kind of way). I get to talk to other people who really, really love reading, and aren’t afraid to admit it. I get to go to dinner parties, and I love seeing the surprise in people’s faces when someone mentions that I’m an author. A real one. That’s pretty good too.

But the best bit about being an author is that I get to write books for a living. I. Get. To. Write. Books.

Seriously, even now I know just how lucky I am. And if I’m being completely honest, even just thinking about it brings a huge smile to my face.

Being an author is better than anything. It’s brilliant. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge, I’d heartily recommend it. It’s not an easy life, but it’s one that you’ll never regret. Go for it!