Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was born in Scotland and grew up in England. My writing was influenced by a prevailing sense in England when I grew up that justice should always be served on the bad people of the world and many of my characters go through adverse circumstances and do just that. I was also influenced by the belief that an ordinary man is capable of anything and can achieve anything.
When did you first start writing?
I went to a writing class with a friend in England. He was the one who wanted to be a writer and he asked me to go along. I missed a week and misunderstood the assignment which was supposed to be about yourself but I actually wrote a work of fiction. There was a young poet in the class who was incredibly talented. When I read my story out the poet said that when I started he thought it was going to be a piece of cliched crap (his exact words) but it had so many twists and turns it really pulled him in and he went on to say how good it was. At that moment with those words from him I had the confidence to start writing.
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