Authors Electric

I've been back from Sri Lanka for two days. This was a very different trip for me - usually I travel alone, and for 4-6 weeks. This time I was with my brother and sister-in-law, for two weeks, and our trip was organised around cricket (England are playing Sri Lanka at the moment.) It's too soon to find the right words to describe these two weeks. We packed a lot in - and I need to digest my notebooks and let the story evolve before I can begin to find coherence in it. Besides which I am mildly jet-lagged, which makes writing in complete sentences something of a challenge. And so here are some pictures. In time I'll find time to describe the sheer weight of an elephant: Or the appeal of a baby monkey (doesn't the mum look tired!): Or the tangy smell of spices: Or the peaceful smile of a Buddha: And then, of course, there was the cricket: By next month I'll be able to manage words. But if you need some now, try my website:  www.jocar...

Apart from writers’ block, I suspect one of the things authors most dread is the question: “Where do you get your ideas from?” You probably have a little less than a minute to explain all the ways that your characters and their stories elbow their way into your imagination before your listener’s eyes start to glaze over. So with that in mind, I’ll try to be brief! Observing everyday life is of course one of the great ways to get inspiration for your writing. I’ve often been doing a mundane activity like walking round the supermarket or weeding the garden when my attention’s been caught by something that sets off a train of thought. That might be start of a short story or it may even be the germ of a novel. There have been times too when travelling has provided the spark. Separation from everyday concerns and pressures definitely has a liberating effect that can lead to all sorts of exciting new projects. It was certainly the case with my new release, Trouble in Nuala. This is a...