It’s the question all writers get asked, isn’t it? Where do you get your ideas from? With ‘But By Degrees’, it links into that familiar writing advice of write what you know. Of course, I don’t mean that I’ve ever been in an office threatened by a bomber, but I have spent a lot of time in offices.
The original idea for this novel came in 2009 when I was working in a particular office with someone whom I found a little obnoxious and difficult to like. I began to wonder what a hostage situation with her would be like, and the whole idea spiraled from there. Safe to say, she was only the catalyst for the idea and has no place in the finished product.
Another aspect of this novel stemming from my office life is rather innocuous. On the way to another job every morning, I passed a house that had been converted to an office. Now, that one was in very good condition, but what if it was falling apart?
Those ‘what ifs’ are the lifeblood of fiction. Working out what could happen in a dilapidated office if someone phoned in a bomb threat sent me off on a seven year path of discovery. I have to say, it was an enjoyable ride.
