Very often the characters people respond to best have little parts of reality they can relate to.

Grabbing readers by the imagination is a writer's job.

I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.

Those who have not been stung will hardly fear a bee the same as those who have.

The sky was a sparkling succession of black diamonds on black velvet made crystal clear by the blackout.

Something I notice speaking to writers from south of Hadrians Wall is that the culture is different. At base, I think Scotland values its creative industries differently from England.

For a novelist, the gaps in a story are as intriguing as material that still exists.