The largest two books I've ever read more than once are 'Bleak House' by Charles Dickens and 'The Stand' by Stephen King, about 1,200 pages each. Simon Toyne More Quotes by Simon Toyne More Quotes From Simon Toyne I love Westerns. They're a unique creation of American mythology. Simon Toyne american creation unique love I knew from my television work that I could sit down and put words on paper but didn't know if I had the talent to tell a story in novel form. Simon Toyne words down talent work I looked back at the years since I'd left college and thought of the list of things I'd have liked to do. I'd always wanted to write a book - not a small undertaking. I never felt I had the time or creative energy to spare in order to write one as well as I wanted. Simon Toyne thought energy time book As a television producer, you do a lot of writing - drafting proposals for pilot shows and other things, so yes, a good deal of writing was involved. Simon Toyne pilot good you television 'Sanctus' deals with creation myths in every culture. It fascinates me that all cultures, evolving independently, have similar models of mankind's origins, of a Greater Being, of the flood, and so on. It's amazing how they crop up time and time again. Simon Toyne amazing me time culture 'The Searcher,' as the title suggests, is about someone in search of something, and I have always loved quest stories and so was drawn to writing one myself. Simon Toyne loved search someone myself I think 'The Searcher' is a departure from my first because it's less grounded in religion and is far more rooted in the mythic tradition: more of an existential thriller where the main character is actually the central mystery, and his journey is all about trying to figure himself out. Simon Toyne tradition journey character religion The author always knows more than the reader does at the start of a novel, and gradually, they share that knowledge with the reader - that's storytelling. Simon Toyne more start always knowledge I hate it when characters know things but only reveal them when it's convenient to the story. I'd never do that. That's cheating. Simon Toyne story never hate cheating As a writer, I always try as hard as possible to get out of the way of the story, so maybe that's the most important thing my readers should know - I'm all about the story, not about the ego. Simon Toyne story ego important way 'Solomon Creed' is a man who knows everything about everything but nothing about himself and is on a journey of redemption to try and reclaim his identity. Simon Toyne nothing man journey identity Quest stories are about the oldest form of narrative there is, and they're also the perfect metaphor for life because we're all on a journey trying to figure out where we're going and who we are. 'Solomon Creed' is just doing it with more danger and guns involved. Simon Toyne doing journey perfect life I love that I can work from home and take my kids to school every day. Simon Toyne day work home love One of the things that made me try writing novels was I could take time off to be with the kids. That's the practical side of what I love about the writing life. Simon Toyne me time love life I love researching all sorts of weird stuff. I always say, 'God help me if the FBI came across my Internet search history.' Simon Toyne me god love history 'Sanctus' was done on speculation. I had no agent or publisher. I was being sensible, I suppose, by writing a standalone novel. I figured if that one didn't work, no one would be interested in reading a sequel. Simon Toyne done reading work writing Epic stories, especially 'quest narratives' like 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey,' are brilliant structures for storytelling. The quest lends itself to episodic storytelling. Simon Toyne quest like storytelling brilliant If you look at the great Westerns, and at Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology, they all contain elements in common: a harsh landscape; demons or outlaws trying to stop or kill the protagonist; and there are mythical legends at their core, innate in all cultures. Simon Toyne demons great look you I wrote 'The Searcher' because I love westerns, and they've fallen out of fashion. Simon Toyne out because fashion love I figured if I write a modern thriller but spliced in the DNA of a classic western - the drifter who comes into town with secrets - I could do something interesting with both genres. Westerns are also an incarnation of the classic knight errant tale, the lone warrior with a moral code, and I love those types of stories. Simon Toyne secrets classic moral love
