Goodreads asked M. Jonathan Jones:

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

M. Jonathan Jones Dorothy Parker is supposed to have said that she hated writing but loved having written. I won't claim yet to be a writer, but I have written nearly 5 books and I have to say that I do (mostly) enjoy the writing process. For me the very best thing about writing - apart from sharing stories with readers - is creating new worlds. As someone who writes speculative fiction, the world-creation part is crucial. For two of my books (Thalassa, and Race the Red Horizon) I created worlds that were quite claustrophobic, in keeping with the post-apocalyptic themes. For the latest one (The Outlaws of Kratzenfels, due out this very month of May, hint hint), I have invented a much wider and more open-ended world.
It's always fun immersing yourself in a fictional universe, and while writing Thalassa, set under the sea, I remember looking up from my desk after a long session to see trees and sky outside and being a bit baffled at the sight. So maybe my real answer to this question is: the best thing about being a writer is not so much making new worlds, as getting away from this one for a bit.

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