“I'm a novelist by trade and my job is to write a story rather than reconstruct actual events.” — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“It's entirely possible to base an entire book on a long-forgotten letter.” — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“Having instant feedback on twitter to research material I'm considering is an enormous help.” — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“I remember calling the council's cemetery department to ask about body decomposition in different soil types. Once they had verified that I… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“One of my favourite parts of writing is doing the research. It's the door into that magical reading/writing state - the raw… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“I know a lot of writers, and everyone works differently, but this is something that we truly have in common across all… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
There are so many ways to do research - even watching old Ealing comedies, watching people getting on and off buses in… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“Occasionally a particular word or phrase in a letter or diary has sparked an entire plot - like an echo from history,… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“History makes my mouth water - and that is as much because of the voids in what documentation remains as what is… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
Historical fiction of course is particularly research-heavy. The details of everyday life are there to trip you up. Things that we take… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“Google maps are one thing but there's no substitute for pounding the beat and I spent quite a bit of time figuring… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
I once did an event with Ian Rankin where he said he didn't really need to do much background research because his… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“You've got to make an effort to get the details right, because even through someone picks it up and knows it's a… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
“In the middle section of the book Mirabelle breaks into not one, but two houses near Belgravia Books. I had fun scoping… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share Image
Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think. — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
“Kissing her is like drinking salted water, he thinks. His thirst only increases.” — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
Those who have not been stung will hardly fear a bee the same as those who have. — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
“We are in the middle of the biggest revolution in reading and writing since the advent of the Gutenberg press.” — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
The sky was a sparkling succession of black diamonds on black velvet made crystal clear by the blackout. — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
“The mass communications that could enable our politics for good have instead turned it into a bland conglomeration of stinted opinion cloaked in the… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
I've found myself moved by letters and diaries in archives as well as trashy, summer blockbusters. It's possible to make a connection with any… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective. I dumped science at an early age. — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
“Crime writers, I've noticed, can be jumpy. They live in a world where there are murderers on the loose and they haven't been caught… — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
“The writing talent of Edinburgh is textured - we have poets, novelists, non-fiction writers, dramatists and more.” — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character. — Sara Sheridan Copy Share
