This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Daniela Sacerdoti's wonderful book, Watch Over Me, was published in paperback in March and with our quote on the new cover. Daniela recently answered a few questions for our Novelicious readers. Here's a link to the review. 
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
My youngest son is in nursery about three hours a day over lunchtime, so that’s when I get most of my work done. I also work most weekends. I tend to be quite disciplined, maybe because I have such little time.
When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?
Never celebrities. I use people I know, mainly friends and family. I also listen to conversations on the train, in coffee shops, at that school gates… wherever I am, really! I’m very curious about the world and I see stories everywhere.
What is your favourite women’s fiction book of all time and why?
Can I cheat and choose two? The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy, the story of a woman torn between the love of her life and her children. It’s beautifully written, very emotional, and it captures the spirit of a small, sleepy Irish village where a lot happens behind closed doors. My second is a lesser-known book by Philippa Gregory, Perfectly Correct. Philippa Gregory is better known for her historical fiction, but I find Perfectly Correct an absolute jewel of a book. It talks about a woman who’s trying to understand what she really wants from life, and it may not be what she thinks she does.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
It depends on the book. Watch Over Me wasn’t planned as such, I just dived in, but the story was so clear in my mind I only needed one draft. The plot of Watch Over Me, though, is very linear and simple. Other books of mine, like the first two instalments of the Sarah Midnight Trilogy (Dreams and Tide) had more complex plots and a greater number of characters, so they needed to be planned carefully. They also needed a good few drafts.
What was your journey to be in a published author?
I have been writing for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t have the confidence to submit until three years ago. I received a lot of rejections but thankfully Black & White believed in me and offered publish Watch Over Me. It took about a year from when I finished the book to when I received an offer. A few months later I was signed on by my agent Lindsey Fraser at Fraser Ross.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
Maybe that we have to wait for inspiration to work. Truth is, we just don’t have time to wait for the Muse! Sometimes you feel inspired, sometimes it’s like wading through treacle, but you still have to keep going.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
To read, read, and read some more. Though I don’t think the readers of Novelicious need convincing! Also, to believe in yourself and never give up.
What are you working on at the moment?
Another adult book, set in the same village as Watch Over Me, Glen Avich, but with an entirely new set of characters. It’s the story of a young woman who loses the power of speech after a trauma.
Thanks, Daniela!