I find I’m usually most creative in the mornings, so that’s when I always aim to start writing. I try to avoid the distraction of emails, social media and so on until later in the day. Not that this always goes to plan. I am a bit of a night owl, but I’m not a big fan of writing in the evening. That’s when I prefer to enjoy the creativity of others by reading books or watching TV dramas and films.
S.D. Robertson
My favourite place to read is in the bath. This is probably because there’s very little to distract me there, unlike almost everywhere else. It also encourages me to read actual books, rather than to use my Kindle, although I have been known to do that too. Luckily, I’ve not managed to drop it in the water yet.
My hair is very grey for a forty-year-old. It started turning when I was in my twenties and now I’m aiming for totally white by forty-five. Well, it worked for Roger Sterling in Mad Men, didn’t it?
I’ve lived in the north of England for most of my life. I’m currently based in a village surrounded by beautiful countryside but just a quick drive from Manchester. (The best of both worlds.) However, I’ve previously also spent time living and working in France, Australia and the Netherlands. My wife is originally from Holland. She and our daughter often speak Dutch to each other at home. My Dutch leaves a lot to be desired, but I did manage to incorporate a little into my debut novel, Time to Say Goodbye. There’s also a small but important reference to the Netherlands in my latest book, If Ever I Fall.
I have a cat called Bernard. If you follow me on Twitter (@SDRauthor) you may have heard me mention him once or twice. In my defence, he’s the only company I have during the day when the others are out at work and school. As I write this, he’s currently asleep on my knee.
My favourite film is 1993’s Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. My daughter and I always watch it together on 2nd February: the date on which it’s set and when the annual festival actually takes place in real life. A scene in the film actually inspired the title and some key moments of the first novel I ever wrote, Too Early for Flapjacks, which is now locked away in a drawer. It was a great learning exercise, but I can’t see myself ever wanting to release it now.
I’m currently addicted to a little known US television series called The Americans. It’s about Russian spies living undercover in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. in the early 1980s during the Cold War. If you enjoy a gripping spy yarn and intelligent, thought-provoking TV, you really need to watch this.
My favourite food is pizza. Obviously.
I used to be a local newspaper editor, which is why I chose this role for the character of Dan in If Ever I Fall. A key reason I went into journalism was because I wanted to write for a living. I always hoped to move into fiction eventually, as it’s been a passion of mine ever since getting addicted to Enid Blyton books as a child. I’m so glad that I managed to do it.
I love it when readers contact me to tell me they’ve enjoyed my books. It’s quite scary when the world you’ve created in your head suddenly gets shared with lots of people, so it’s always fantastic to hear from those who’ve really connected with a novel.
*Former journalist S.D. Robertson quit his job as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming an author and to spend more time with his wife and daughter. If Ever I Fall (Avon HarperCollins, £7.99) is his second novel. A heart-rending story of family tragedy, it is published on 9 February 2017.