2,000 words achieved, some first thing and the rest just now. It’s definitely easier very first thing, when its dark outside, the morning is still and silent and I feel I’m the only person awake in the whole world, the sun is still hitting the snooze button, and my mind is clear and eager to get creative. Sometimes, as today, I play music, ever so quietly as I’m a considerate neighbour ? to help me envisage whatever place I need to. iTunes is also wonderful for that. This morning I needed to be the shadow of a streetwise LA narcotics agent and his world, so I played Motley Crue’s Dr. Feelgood. A great band, a classic album, and the title track’s lyrics really encapsulate that world. Now comes the tricky part – writing the next action when I have zero understanding of the diverse suburbs of LA, or the road that leads to San Diego. Anyone out there from those parts? Before I end, I promised Joe from Boston I’d answer his question in my blog, which was – why a Trabant as inspiration for my character? Thanks for your nice email and question Joe, and my answer: a) love at first sight, which was in ’91 when U2 played Wembley Stadium, London on their Zooropa Tour. 3 Trabis were suspended from the stage ceiling. I was smitten. b) I’m hugely inspired by the people of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) and the Soviet oppression they endured behind the Berlin Wall. To me, the Trabi symbolised that struggle, the making good against impossible odds. It also symbolised a changing world that ultimately led to the Wall coming down. There’s a huge amount of energy in that section of history that I wanted to harness for my character. There’s plenty more reasons too, hopefully obvious when you read the book, but for now I’ll end on the most important one, which is the fact that every secret agent deserves a super-cool car to save the world in, right? And if you still don’t know what a Trabi is, check out wikipedia’s page on Trabant 601. But be warned – they’re addictive ? Thanks for reading and catch up tomorrow. All the best, Dominic