Authors Electric

I have frequently used my travels abroad as inspiration for settings – but that tends to be stills of scenery, buildings, wildlife, enhanced by the personal memories of sounds, smells and tastes. Animating them can provide excellent and unusual opportunities for drama. Film does this particularly well, with people running through parades to escape pursuit which mostly consist of brass bands or cheerleaders. But there are so many other possibilities. And the more ethnic it is, and the more aimed at the local population the better. Although we are all travelling far less these days, it is always worthwhile checking for local festivals or events. Having your hero dodging between decorated elephants or fishermen with cormorants against a backdrop of bridesmaids is a lot more interesting. One of the first events I encountered – by accident – was in Karnataka, in India. We had struck out on our own, with just a driver, and were in a tiny village, quite a long way away from any major towns....