As a writer everything I see and do will influence what I write
about. Born and bred in London with a paranoid mother I've been inbuilt with a subconscious
skill of noticing almost everything that is happening around me; cautious of
everyone and everything. I’m quite sure if i didn't have my friends I would be
as much a recluse as the great Emily Dickinson once was ... although for very
different reasons. Dickinson’s surroundings, and the things she read are clearly
shown in her work. She struggled with a depressed mother, possibly fighting
with depression herself, and battled with feelings for her brother’s wife; all
of which had a large influence on her poetry.
History is a huge influence on my writing. After being
forced to watch countless documentaries with my mum and grandma about various
events in history, I started to develop a real interest for it; In particular Victorian
London. Some of the greatest novels have been set in the streets of Victorian London,
one major example of course being Sherlock Holmes. With so much history coming
from just one city the possibilities are endless. The same story-line can have
such a different outcome simply by moving it through the strong divides of the
class system that were more prominent at that time.
I definitely believe that where you are from, what you read
and what interests you have has a huge impact on what you write. Without those
influences I’m quite sure today’s books and films would not be nearly as interesting.