Inspiration to write must, I think, be tailored to each writer and their mind. For me, I find the best inspiration in real life stories I have lived. I watched the 1967 Arab Israeli war from a hospital bed with an Army intel officer for a roommate. The commentary was fascinating but a story he told me about his experiences led me to write Wash, the ex-Special Forces soldier turned intel officer involve in truce talks. On Mars. Just a little story.

Then I wrote down “Of all the asteroid bars in the Belt she had to walk into mine.” That got me going with a story based in part on my own personal experience in meeting a girl in college who ended up being my lab partner in a physics class. The ridiculous opening line disappeared but I ended up with 10,000 words about Jack and Ellen. In the process of fixing a ludicrous problem facing them and its laughable resolution I discovered the Revolt on Mars, which links Wash to Jack and Ellen.

Watch this space for what’s looking like a sci fi spy story.