As I got more successful, I felt it was more incumbent upon me to help the other people. I did more and more and the more I did the more I wanted.
I had a faux-hawk for a while and I used to buzz the sides and design it. It was really bad.
Once a novel gets going and I know it is viable, I don't then worry about plot or themes. These things will come in almost automatically because the characters are now pulling the story.

