Fleur McDonald writes: I’ve been asked if living in the country made it difficult to get published. I really believe the answer to that, is no.

The digital age has made popping over to Sydney, or elsewhere, rather easy. It seems that all you have to do is click a button! (I will hasten to add; we have exceptional mobile phone range around our area, which some country places don’t have, so my internet is wonderful.)

The country, to me, is my inspiration. There are so many stories to tell. It keeps me focused on my writing – I can’t just pop over to a friend’s house for a coffee, or run down to the shops. Once I sit at the computer, my interruptions are the things that help me to write – a phone call to help get the cattle in, or the day spent in the sheep yards reminds me of the small incidental things that I might want to put in a scene I’m writing. I’ve learnt to see those ‘intrusions’ as not that all, but as food for my writing. Writing is still only my part time job, not my full time one!

My manuscript was picked up through me emailing it to Friday Pitch Day, then there were a few phone calls, meetings and then the contract arrived in the mail. All the editing process has all been through email.

So no, living 110km from Esperance with an eight hour drive to Perth and cows and sheep as my closest neighbours, hasn’t stopped me from getting a publishing deal.

Don’t let where you live limit what you can achieve.