Susie Steinle asked Sylvain Reynard:

Hello SR, I hope you are well. I was talking to my son today about books & writing. As an avid reader & young filmmaker he has always wanted to know how an author begins writing. So, this question is from my son Sam: "When writing a book, do you start with an idea for a character, a particular scene, dialogue or the complete story and how do you build outwards from that original idea?" Thank you & best wishes, Susie x

Sylvain Reynard Hello Susie. Hello Sam.
Thanks for your question.

It depends. When I began writing The Gabriel Series, the story unfolded in my imagination in a very detailed fashion.

With The Florentine Series, it began with the character of Raven and her walk home after a party ...

I try to allow the creative process to unfold while keeping in mind that characters are persons - in order for them to be realistic they have to have a backstory, beliefs, desires, and intentions.

I ask myself "What would this character say or do next?" at every instance. And that helps drive the story forward.

I hope this helps. Thanks for your question.
And thanks for reading, SR

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