What inspired you to write "Dancing Man"?

I based the Dancing Man on a real-life character who resides in North Wales. I won’t say any more than that! I suppose Graham has elements of me in him (I was a journalist), but I’m pleased to report that my life is happier than his.



What other material do your normally write?

I like doing horror and spooky stories, though I also like contemporary stories such as Dancing Man that try to get under the skin of everyday life. There’s more to life than what we see and hear every day – I like taking that “ordinary” and expanding on it a little.



What made you become a writer?

In primary school at the start of every term we would be asked by the teacher to write a story. Most of the kids wrote about what they did during the holidays. I wrote fiction stories about haunted castles and the like. I used to draw a lot, and then I seemed to realise I was quite good at painting with words.



Which writers do you admire?

I have to be honest and say I’m not a huge fan of the literary style. You have to enjoy reading to do it, and if I’m finding each turn of the page a struggle I tend to put it down after a while and not return to it. I always liked Stephen King but haven’t read him for some time now. I like crime novels but I’m not a fan of series, which seem to be all the rage. I grew up reading George Orwell.



Tell us something about your writing routine.

This’ll be quick – I don’t have a writing routine! Or maybe I do…It starts with a blank word processor page. Then it breaks off for coffee, then a quick look at the BBC website, then back to the blank word processor page, then maybe another coffee. Seriously, starting is the hardest part. The second hardest part comes about halfway through, when you realise what you’re writing is not what you set out to write. I’m learning to go with it, because that’s what rewrites are for.



Do you have a favourite place for writing?

No, but I’d like one so I can develop a writing routine! I’ll have to cart the laptop around the house and experiment, to see where I do my best stuff.