Dear Mr. Cornwell. I’m a massive fan of your work, and have subsequently begun writing my own work while at university. How long should a novel be in your opinion? I’m about 40,000 words along so far, and wondered whether there was a guideline you go by? Oddly enough, I’m also beginning a disertation on Thomas Cochrane, which I’m looking forward to getting stuck into. At only 10,000 words, it should be a doddle! All the best, James Flower, West Sussex