Where do I get my ideas ?

I get asked this question more times than any other in relation to my writing. The answer is from life, often personal experience, sometimes incidents that happen to friends and comrades, or observations made in the world around me. I listen and observe and soak up any titbits like a sponge, then ask myself what if?

To give an example, my short story Time and Tide was inspired by a mishap I had while showing my young grand daughter how to catch crabs in a rockpool. I slipped on a seaweed covered rock causing my foot to plunge into a hidden crevice. I managed to free my ankle in a little less than a minute, but for a brief moment it gave me a scare as I realised that if it had got stuck then the consequences might well have been serious, especially if the beach had been deserted.

Time and Tide. won 1st prize in a world wide competition, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio along with 4 of my other stories Click this link to listen: Time and Tide.

Writing short stories, is I believe, far more challenging and difficult than writing a novel. To fit the full beginning, middle and crucially deliver a truly satisfying ending in a 2 to 3 pages takes some doing, but it does teach the writer to make every word count and to ditch those not driving the story.