For me, location can be fantastically important in generating ideas. I am lucky enough to have just come back from holiday in rural France. As there was a big party of us, we rented a huge old house sleeping twelve. You can see it above along with one of the extravagantly painted bathrooms. It was reputedly was the home of a French Count who operated a paper making works which was sited at the bottom of the garden. The works included a high red brick chimney, a number of seriously atmospheric derelict old buildings behind trees and a river running at the end of a large expanse of lawn. My imagination went wild. So much so that I whisked my Ipad out on holiday and started a pocket novel which I am now 10,000 words into. The subject matter? Why, ghosts of course! How could there not be ghosts in such a wonderful ancient place with bats roosting in the cellar and a mysterious walk-in attic. So many lives must have lived and played out their dramas there. I took loads of photographs, here are some and I have such a clear picture in my mind of the place that my characters are all firmly ensconced and playing their parts. I would love to get this finished while the ideas are still fresh and absolutely love ghost stories. I have sold two in the past, very successfully, so do please keep your fingers crossed for this novella.
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