Mark asked Simon Conway:

I've been curious about the characters you create. I find them very rich and unique compared to others I have read and I wonder how you originate them. Are they assembled from pieces of people you have met in the real world, entirely fictional, or some combination?

Simon Conway Hi Mark, thank you. I think you've put your finger on something when you refer to assembly. My chapters tend to start out as skeletons or charcoal under drawings, which then have layers of paint added and often stuff scraped away, and it's the same with the characters. They gain layers in the process of editing and tinkering with a scene, which can go on for months. Sometimes the characters contain snippets of real people - physical characteristics or modes of speech - and sometimes what I make them say changes who they are. They all end up being a collage of different influences. The trick is to smooth the seams and make them convincing. Simon

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