I once did an event with Ian Rankin where he said he didn't really need to do much background research because his books are set in the present, and I just thought: 'You lucky, lucky beast!' because as a historical novelist, I live constantly on the edge of wondering whether tissues had been invented.

Sara Sheridan

Categorized in : You Thought Live Research

It is through our extended family that we first learn to compromise and come to an understanding that even if we don't always agree about things we can still love and look out for each other.

Sara Sheridan

understanding looks firsts

I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.

Sara Sheridan

research jobs book

I had never really understood what an adventure life could be, if you followed your heart and did what you really wanted to do, which is what we must all do in the end.

Sara Sheridan

ends heart adventure

I always thought that bagels and lox was my soul food, but it turns out it's sushi.

Sara Sheridan

sushi bagels soul

The law don't like jazz clubs. No one wants anything to do with that kind of trouble.

Sara Sheridan

clubs law want

I find it inspiring to actively choose which traditions to celebrate and also come up with new ideas for traditions of my own.

Sara Sheridan

tradition healing ideas

For me, writing stories set, well, wherever they're best set, is a form of cultural curiosity that is uniquely Scottish - we're famous for travelling in search of adventure.

Sara Sheridan

curiosity writing adventure

Without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.

Sara Sheridan

live-for-today real people

Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.

Sara Sheridan

archives charity research

A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character.

Sara Sheridan

vocabulary character interesting

I've always had a keen sense of history. My father was an antiques dealer and he used to bring home boxes full of treasures, and each item always had a tale attached.

Sara Sheridan

treasure home father

Writers of novels live in a strange world where what's made up is as important as what's real.

Sara Sheridan

important real writing

As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective.

Sara Sheridan

novelists historical jobs

Sometimes I create a character from a scrap - a mere mention that has been left behind.

Sara Sheridan

left-behind sometimes character

She wishes her grandmother had not been so protective, and that she understood better what passes between a man and woman. As it is, she simply enjoys the feelings and wonders if they are what lightning is made of, for everything comes back to the weather. Tears like rain. Smiles like the sun. Hair as dry as sand and fear like the dark ocean.

Sara Sheridan

grandmother ocean rain

Scotland just isn't terribly Tory.

Sara Sheridan

scotland

Copywriters, journalists, mainstream authors, ghostwriters, bloggers and advertising creatives have as much right to think of themselves as good writers as academics, poets, or literary novelists.

Sara Sheridan

novelists writing thinking

History at its best is a gritty, dirty business.

Sara Sheridan

dirty-business dirty

Those who have not been stung will hardly fear a bee the same as those who have.

Sara Sheridan

bees

Aunts offer kids an opportunity to try out ideas that don't chime with their parents and they also demonstrate that people can get on, love each other and live together without necessarily being carbon copies.

Sara Sheridan

aunt opportunity kids