‘I love all my characters equally. Let’s face it, they wouldn’t be there if I didn’t want them to be. Every single one has a part to play, big and small. I feel their pain, their triumphs, their loves and failures, after all, I am their creator. However, that doesn’t mean everyone will get a happy ending or that things are fair.’

‘There’s always some guy walking into a bar out of the blue, coming out of nowhere with a plan, some scheme for centre-stage. And you know what? If I like the look of them, if I like what they’ve got to say, I’ll probably go along with it. At least for a while. If it doesn’t work out then they’re gone, that’s the way things are. I didn’t ask them to come looking.’

‘I do think I’m improving. World-building is a real joy, I can spend days on that. And characterisation. Some folks you just fall in love with, good or bad. That can be dangerous, you want to help them!’

‘I know, background and character do not a story make. My plot is big, sprawling, I had this idea – a plot big enough to contain all the other plots. So you do need to pay attention. Maybe I should have gone for something simpler. I’ve no plans for a sequel.’

~