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Beginning a novel seems much less daunting if you portion off a little time every day to write, take it one page at a time, and follow your imagination wherever it leads you, writes DERMOT BOLGER, in the conclusion to his series about the process of writing fiction

WRITING A NOVEL is like opening up an imaginary hotel for the phantoms of your subconscious. You cannot be guaranteed that guests will turn up on any given night, but you need to have the light on and the door open just in case. I have been lucky enough to write my novels in some unlikely places. Two were written in the watch room of the Baily Lighthouse. Passengers flying into Dublin may have thought that the light flashing on and off at Howth Head was to warn shipping, but it was frequently me trying to find the right light switch on my way out.