Can I get away with claiming that a writer is like a plant, in that they absorb the matter and atmosphere around them and process it into something new – hopefully something that grows of its own accord?

I think this is why so many worrying aspects of modern culture find their way into novels, things that don’t feel quite right. In my case, I chose to write about machines knowing so much about us that they can make our decisions more effectively, in Everything About You, while in The Undoing of Arlo Knott I probed the seductive nature of the ‘undo’ button.

I’m quite taken with the idea of Literary Darwinism – the idea that literature is something we use to explore potential threats. Free from the constraints of reality, we can take a concept and imaginatively carry it to extremes, examine the dangers it may contain.

But the premise of my third book – about narcissism and celebrity culture – is potentially controversial. It was when I read The Narcissism Epidemic that I realised there was any scope whatsoever for questioning the mantra – so entrenched – that you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. Is that really true? Aren’t there people with low self-esteem who still foster a deep love and admiration for others? If self-esteem really is a prerequisite, then what happens when it creeps towards the other end of the scale… towards narcissism, which is well-known to be detrimental to relationships?

Unlike many writers, I tend to start with an idea and then create characters to whom it will matter. In this case, the book revolves around two best friends: a waning reality television star and a shy tunnel engineer. And the setting? I had fun with the setting. But first, a tweet I saw today:

In the UK we are feeling the effects of living under the most corrupt government since the second world war, so it is no wonder we are increasingly disillusioned with the establishment. This is the very feeling that Trump drew upon with his ‘drain the swamp’ rhetoric. For some people politics is becoming a dirty, dated word and, in an era in which everyone can do things their own way, on the great equalising platform of the internet, surely we could do better?

So in my third book a bunch of private Caribbean islands band together to create a brand new nation, the ‘People’s Republic of Love’, governed by the citizen with the most followers on social media. It is the world’s first Instagramocracy and, to stay in charge, an influencer just needs to stay interesting. They can legislate according to personal whimsy and no rules apply. Told you it was fun.

Anyway, the editing is nearly complete, and the book is almost ready to be sent out into the world. By now the characters have overtaken the idea and the story has branched out into strange new directions… and I can heave a sigh of relief that it has grown into something by itself.

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