Ask the Author: Tracy Buchanan
Answered Questions (4)
Tracy Buchanan
One day many years ago, while renting a room in an Edwardian property in London, I noticed there were two copies of DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover on my book shelf. One new, one battered and old, a name signed within: Henrietta Stone. And yet I only had one copy, the new one! How on earth did the old one get there? I put it down to a friend maybe leaving it there. The next day, the copy mysteriously disappeared. To this day, I have no idea how it got there...
Tracy Buchanan
Great questions, thanks Paige! My inspiration for The Atlas of Us was a walk in Exmoor in the UK when I saw a farmer and his skulking dog, and the character of Milo instantly came to me. I was also inspired by the travelling I enjoyed while a magazine editor. Yes, I do get a lot of ideas from my travelling, both in the UK and abroad. My advice for aspiring writers is read some poetry, it really helps with rhythm and imagery. And don't give up! I know too many talented writers who give up at the first hurdle. Yes, I always wanted to be a writer, keeping scrapbooks of inspiration from cut-outs from my mum's catalogues as a child!
Tracy Buchanan
Write a darn good book! There’s no magic formula to how to do this, just write from the heart and write what makes your pulse quicken, what makes your face flush with excitement.
Tracy Buchanan
During a holiday to the Exmoor National Park, UK. One day, during a visit to that local pub, I saw three farmers standing around a table. One turned towards us, his dark hair lifting in the breeze, and that was it: the character of Milo burst to life inside my head. As soon as we got back to the cottage we were staying in, I grabbed my notepad and started sketching out Milo’s character. While doing that, I noticed a battered old atlas on the cabin’s shelves among the books left behind by previous occupants and the idea of a story told via an atlas came to me. The rest then poured out as I used my own experiences with infertility to map out Claire’s character and the travels I enjoyed as a magazine editor to dream up settings, including the scars still left behind by the 2004 tsunami that I’d witnessed in places like Thailand and the Maldives.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more