I believe the era of the militant lady is back.
Writers need each other.
Aunts offer kids an opportunity to try out ideas that don't chime with their parents and they also demonstrate that people can get on, love each other and live together without necessarily being carbon copies.
As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective.
Researching books gets you into nothing but trouble.
Sometimes I create a character from a scrap - a mere mention that has been left behind.