Man With A Suitcase
No, this isn't a typo for those of you old enough to remember the classic ITC series Man In A Suitcase http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/manin.htm but refers to my previous blog post about the incident of the man and the taxi driver in London; how right Leigh Russell is (see comment on blog post ) that an incident like this provides inspiration for writers.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a writer is, "where do you get your ideas from?" Well, the answer is from anywhere and everywhere. Each day is littered with tons of little incidents or scraps of conversations that ignite little light bulbs in my head. Of course, this isn't a full fledged plot, just a tiny spark that might grow into the theme for a novel, or might end up being a minor incident in one. It might, of course, be filed away, but NOTHING is ever discarded for you never know when you might need it. So any ideas I have, or incidents that tickle my fancy, are written down and filed in a large A4 folder. I now have two of these full of ideas and articles all alphabetically indexed to help me when I get stuck.
I also find locations incredibly important, and surrounded by the sea, as I am, I cannot go past a boatyard, ( this is a photo of the Town Camber in Portsmouth, which features in Deadly Waters) a marina, beach or bay without thinking what if... Those two little words are so important to a writer, and are etched in our brains.
One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a writer is, "where do you get your ideas from?" Well, the answer is from anywhere and everywhere. Each day is littered with tons of little incidents or scraps of conversations that ignite little light bulbs in my head. Of course, this isn't a full fledged plot, just a tiny spark that might grow into the theme for a novel, or might end up being a minor incident in one. It might, of course, be filed away, but NOTHING is ever discarded for you never know when you might need it. So any ideas I have, or incidents that tickle my fancy, are written down and filed in a large A4 folder. I now have two of these full of ideas and articles all alphabetically indexed to help me when I get stuck.
I also find locations incredibly important, and surrounded by the sea, as I am, I cannot go past a boatyard, ( this is a photo of the Town Camber in Portsmouth, which features in Deadly Waters) a marina, beach or bay without thinking what if... Those two little words are so important to a writer, and are etched in our brains.
Off to Littlehampton today to give a talk to the Arun U3A Book Group. http://www.arunu3a.co.uk/index.htm U3A stands for the University of the Third Age. It is a registered charity part of a network of self-help groups which promote life-long learning and leisure activities for older people no longer in full-time employment. Good on them... I'll ask if anyone remembers Man In A Suitcase. Hunky male lead... and I like the idea behind the storyline.... more ideas...? You bet.
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