It was some version of "It was a dark and stormy night..." I obviously read too much Peanuts as a child.

To start writing and trust in the process. Word follows word, sentence follow sentence, and eventually you have a narrative.
I'm an organic writer, in that I have an idea for a story and then I just have to keep writing and see where it takes me. I have ideas for plot points, and have a vague idea where the story will end, but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get there, or what will happen on the way.

Not the first story, but I remember reading Enid Blyton, E Nesbitt, Paddington Bear, The Wombles, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, and all sorts of other children's stories. I read avidly and still do. Reading is both stimulating and relaxing at the same time. I loved that they took me out of the every day world into other lives and worlds. If I don't read I feel unsettled. For me reading provides a point of stillness and focus. Unfortunately work gets in the way now.
However, Lawrence Durrell's Avignon Quintet that I read when I was 18 had the biggest impact on me as a reader, writer and everything else. I loved the story, the setting, the characters, and the clever plot, and it suggested to me other ways of living and being, ideas which have remained with me ever since. I then read every book by Lawrence Durrell I could get my hands on, and I continue to read and collect his books now. He is, without doubt, the writer who has had the greatest impact on me.

I use a professional. For the cover for Tom's Inheritance I researched on the net and found Fiona Jayde Media. She was great and provided a fantastic image. It was as if she read my mind.

A kindle!

It's made of frosted glass and steel with two large computer screens on it. Sometimes it's covered in reference books, sometimes my notebooks, or sometimes just cups and glasses, but usually the cat is lying under the lamp keeping an eye on me.

I love reading! Reading is my relaxation and inspiration. And I also love gardening. In the spring it's a hard choice between gardening and writing. I'm also slightly obsessive about yoga, I love watching films and making the occasional short film with a group of friends, and shopping and travelling are also favourite pass-times.

I'm writing a follow up to Tom's Inheritance. I love the King Arthur stories, particularly the way in which they have a strong fantastical element that crosses the boundary into fairy tales. The mystical and magical sides to the tales really appeal to me. I decided to explore the fairy tale elements of these, and there are some great characters to work with and develop. I hope readers enjoy them too.