Goodreads asked John K. Irvine:

How do you get inspired to write?

John K. Irvine The 'tone' of the book was something I thought a great deal about before I started writing 'The Smith Chronicles'. I wanted to write a book that was very quirky, slightly satirical, scatologically funny and yet, at the same, have a strong emotional core. Being a sci-fi and fantasy fan, I already knew what was out there in terms of this style of book (ie. not alot!)

'The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy' was a model, for sure. Somewhere where anything could happen, no matter how fantastical. Jack London's books 'White Fang' and 'Call of the Wild' too, how London writes: the gloriously long sentences, the thought processes of his characters, how nature is more powerful than man - that we are part of it, not outwith it or above it. The 'Back To The Future' film trilogy is also a massive inspiration. That kind of zany, hip humour is right up my Stratis.

So, I would say that 'tone' is really where the ideas come from, keeping that feeling going, bubbling under, on the backburner - it fuels the writing. It makes your book individual and that's what we're after, in the end.

JKI

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