I don't know.
I don't know where ideas come from.
I think the more interesting question might be why do some people have, you know, why do some people want to live in a a fictional world so much and why do some of us voluntarily spend hours and hours alone in a fictional world.
But the trouble is I can't answer that question either.
But that's maybe the more pertinent question some of us just are happy living that way, happiest living that way.
Ideas come in different ways and different kinds of book, form differently that's been my experience.
So with Harry, the idea really did come... it was the idea for the story, the premise of the story came first which was literally a child doesn't realize he's a wizard and until he gets the letter.
With other books, with the Ickabog the word came, the word Ickabog came.
I thought what is that, what is an Ickabog and that's how the story started with me, trying to find an entity to attach that word to and with the Strike Books, the character came first, he came first.
I did want to write what I saw as quite a golden age who done it, but in a modern setting and it was interesting to think well how would that work, how do you in this age of DNA analysis and high-tech detective techniques and CCTV cameras, how do you have a real old school detective in modern London.
