The Leap Of IMAGINATION

Bestselling British novelist Sebastian Faulks, who hit the limelight with his 2008 Bond novel Devil May Care, tells Rojin Giri that being a writer is a continuous process -- you think of writing all the time, whether sleeping, eating or drinking

Inspiration is a contin uous process. It is not something that dawns on you suddenly, says renowned British author Sebastian Faulks who was in Mauritius for the latest edition of the Prince Maurice Prize.

Inspiration for writing, says Faulks, is a process of turning things around all the time. "When you are a writer, you think about of writing all the time, whether you are sleeping, eating, drinking, it is all you think about. You are always processing ideas and thoughts."

His books are read all over the world, and what he feels has made a connection with the readers in his writings is "the language I use".

"I also take them into areas of experience and feeling that are unfamiliar to them."

It was at the age of 14 that he decided to be a novelist as he was inspired by Charles Dickens and DH Lawrence, among others.

He spent a year after university to write a novel. Two years later he got a job running a small book club called the New Fiction Society.

In 1979, Faulks joined Daily Telegraph as a junior reporter, but dedicated his evenings to writing books.

He was living a simple life without much amenities.

And with no TV at his place, most nights were spent writing.

It was his fourth book that he finally felt was good enough to be published.
When he got news from a publisher about the book which he titled A Trick of Light, he said he felt like it "was the beginning of something after long dark days". Faulks also worked as a feature writer for the Sunday Telegraph and then joined the Independent as Literary Editor. He later wrote a monthly column for The Guardian and a weekly for Evening Standard.

Amidst all this, his novel The Girl at the Lion d'Or came out in 1989. However, it was his widely acclaimed novel Birdsong that got him into the spotlight after which many novels have followed which have made it to the best-seller list.

To be a good writer, he feels one should never write about one's own life.
"Write about unfamiliar things -if you are a man write about a woman, if you're from the 20th century, write a story based on the 19th century," he advises.

And there are ways to help you get it right, talk to people from the place or time, check up on the Internet and find out more about it and maybe you can even ask the people from that era or place to read your script to make sure it feels real. When you are young, you should venture into different areas and try to write different things and later on when you find your ground, write what you are best capable of.

For a novel to be good he thinks that the words one chooses are very important.
"It should give pleasure in themselves, it shouldn't be only informative, like someone giving directions, it should be more than just plain information. One should write sentences that are interesting and exciting to read. It should be a huge leap of imagination."

Talking abut his own works and his writing style he elaborates, "If it pleases me, then only can it please the reader. One should write at the highest level, push oneself very hard to please the reader."

While one should not undermine the readers intellect as well, one should always keep in mind that the reader is more clever than you, advises Faulks.

In 2006, Faulks was approached by the late Ian Fleming's family and asked if he would write a one-off James Bond novel to mark the centenary of Fleming's birth. He accepted. Though his books have been made into plays, TV series and of course the wellknown James Bond book Devil May Care, he says, "Most people think that if a book is made into a movie, then you have reached the greatest height, but actually it's the other way round. The book is the top of the mountain. It is very unusual that the movie is better than the book."

Dismissing all the dark moments and the difficulties a writer goes through he says, "It is a sense that the world is not what it should be that makes you write, because it is only through writing that you can make it a better place, it gives you a sense of determination of mission."