I find myself inspired by many things; people; places; images; music, really anything I come across. Whilst most of what I write comes from the voices in my head; the initial spark, or trigger to an idea is normally external. I find travelling, and seeing new, and indeed old, places particularly inspiring.

My wife and I often play a game when we’re driving somewhere, getting one another to create bizarre scenarios or stories based upon what we can see. We do this for people as well, inventing stories for the random folk we pass walking through town.

I thought this week I would take you on a mini tour to some of the places I have found the most inspiring…

Soho, London. There are a hundred places in London I could talk about. I love this town and everything about it, and find and have found endless inspiration in many parts of it. I’ve chosen Soho because it’s my favourite place to go and hang out, soaking up the atmosphere and letting the ideas flow.

There are endless back streets, ripe for a murder, or random opening of a portal. There are buildings steeped in history, inviting thoughts of dimly-lit gatherings of ages old vampires or dusty magic users. And of course, there are the people. A thousand, thousand stories, all clamouring and jostling to be told, to escape the street and break free of my imagination and into print.

The smell, the noise, the very air enriches and enlivens the dreaming part of me.