Inspiration and craftsmanship go hand in hand. Thought and execution. For me, places, smells, sounds, sensations, encounters are an inspiration. Memory, knowledge, experience. Storytelling. Stories.
I could never write without an in-depth knowledge of WHERE, WHO, WHY. Where does the novel take place? Who is in the foreground, who is on the sidelines? Who are the driving forces? And why? What are their motives? Where does it take place?
Stories can be invented. Places exist. Place, grip, intention is EVERYTHING. And language. The desire. The drive.
