Where do you get your ideas from?

Ahh, that timeless chestnut. Well I have an answer, along with an explanatory photostory.

The secret is this: I get my ideas from my puppy.

What follows is a small extract from a draft of Scatterheart, with photos of how I got the idea.

Frothing at the mouth, the dogs made straight for the bear, slashing at its side with their teeth in a manic frenzy.


The crowd cried out with joy as red blood was splashed onto the ice. The bear whipped around, quicker than Hannah would have believed possible, swatting at the dogs with a great clawed paw.


One of them was tossed across the ring, yelping in pain, but it sprang back to its feet again and resumed its attack.


Fur was torn from flesh, and blood flowed freely.


See? It's that simple. All you need is a puppy, and some interesting props.