One day I’d love to go to the Edinburgh Book Festival. Such a great city and so many fabulous authors. In an impromptu interview with the Guardian, Patrick Ness, the author of A Monster Calls, was asked:
“What do you do when you’re struggling for ideas?”
Ness’s reply:
“Go for a run. I’m a long distance runner and I get my best ideas when I’m out running. It also helps that I can’t write it down immediately – if you hold onto an idea other things will stick on it.”
In this case, Ness didn’t have to run far for the idea. The story is based on an idea from the late Siobhan Dowd. And the story was beautifully and hauntingly illustrated by Jim Kay. It was one of my favorites books from last year.
Where do you get your ideas from? is probably the question I’m asked more than any other. I think the real question is “How do you transform an idea into a story that resonates with readers?” And that folks is where the art of writing comes in. And so, I’d better get back to transforming ideas into something you will want to read!
Sheryl McFarlane 