A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character.
Scotland consistently produces world-class writers.
Writers need each other.
I had loved poetry and the theatre. Now I loved adventure more.
Those who have not been stung will hardly fear a bee the same as those who have.
Historical fiction of course is particularly research-heavy. The details of everyday life are there to trip you up. Things that we take for granted, indeed, hardly think about, can lead to tremendous mistakes.