What are peoples thoughts on a writer directing their own work?...from experience.

In brief - and without getting too 'deep' - I directed a play (with music) that I wrote in 2006 and found the whole experience very rewarding. In all honesty I would say that had I not been an experienced director and performer I don't know that it would have been as easy as it was, thats not meant to sound up myself (!) - but in a practical sense it HAS to be an advantage. I also was fortunate to have the support of my theatre club, and seeing something that you've written come to life with the proper scenery and costuming that you've envisaged, rather than doing it on a shoestring budget myself was certainly a plus. As a director you often have to compromise with characterisations in amatuer theatre, and the hardest part of being a writer/director was probably in a couple of instances where the character was just not able to develop EXACTLY as I'd seen it when writing it, but at the same time I had to come to terms with the fact that should the play ever be taken up by someone else ("A Characteristic Quest" through TAZ Playwrights - plug plug)then that is likely to be the case anyway, as I would not be there to 'oversee' that particular production. Interpretations will always vary, and as an author you have a 'fondness' for your characters that is largely seen in your head anyway, no amount of stage directions in the script can totally express that in a tangible sense. My feeling is - go for it!