Einstein got it right.

There is a wonderful quote by Albert Einstein (yes, that brilliant physicist) that should be up in large letters in every school, in every town and in every country in the world. It is this:

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.

That means those of us who like writing are up there with the best. Yeah!

So, let's get down to this whole writing thing. First, why did I write for young adults (YA)?

As it happens, the YA range is just about the most difficult age to write for. Why? Well, as already discussed, the 12 - 18 age range often don't read. Added to that, the age range is huge. A twelve-year-old not long out of primary school won't have the same knowledge of the world, or capacity to understand certain things, as an eighteen-year-old about to head off into the working world. Even films carry a 12, 15 or 18 guideline. I think YA books should have something similar; books for 12 - 15 and books for 16- 18. But the powers that be haven't done that, and so the writer has to pitch the story somewhere in the middle.

How long did it take to write Young Eagle Rising?

Five years. Yep, a whole five years. That's because it's historical fiction based on fact. Research, research, research. How long it will take to write a book is rather like asking how long is a piece of string. One thing I will say is this, before you submit it, make sure it's the very best that it can be. Check spelling, grammar (lots of online help for this) and the layout of paragraphs. Read it again and again - and again! I went through Young Eagle Rising over fifty times. The thesaurus, while it sounds like it should be a dinosaur ('I found the leg bone of a giant thesaurus!'), is in fact, your friend. Find the absolute best word for the meaning you want to convey. 'Tighten up' your writing; say what you want succinctly: briefly and well expressed. Don't waffle just to add a few pages. And the best advice of all - read your work aloud! Only then will you truly find the mistakes.