Babel Clash

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. ~Francis Bacon

I’m writing a book at the moment.

This is not unusual. I’m always writing a book. I don’t want to discuss it too much, because I might jinx myself. But I will say one thing: this latest project is my answer to the itch and urge to explore something new.

Kelley spoke about restlessness yesterday. I don’t know whether or not this book will lead into a new series, but it could. And despite the extra work, I’ll be happy to have another playground to build sandcastles in.

I’m asked most about where I get my ideas, where inspiration comes from. Those are such hard questions, because the answer is: I don’t know. Inspiration is elusive – and finding it, or being found — is like being hit by lightning. Unexpected and unpredictable.

Inspiration is not a calculation. It’s a force of nature. Your nature, born of an unconscious lifetime. It’s like dealing with any other gut instinct – you have to listen to it, cultivate it. Show some trust.

Which is easier said than done, because trust alone doesn’t make a great story, or solve plot holes or write a fight scene. It doesn’t help you turn a description of the shining moon into a glint on broken glass (to paraphrase Anton Chekov).

But trust, friends, is the same as faith. And when you’re in the trenches, when you’re alone with your story in the middle of the night and you’re exhausted, and the end is nowhere in sight, you need to draw on that faith – in yourself and in the idea. You need to reach for the inspiration that struck you, and use it to keep the fire burning.

The fire is always burning.

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