We're a small island at the edge of the Atlantic. We're used to weather. "Four seasons in one day," we boast to tourists unprepared for rain." But that's just in Summer.

I went to the Taj Mahal expecting a tourist trap — what I found took my breath away. From foggy views in Agra to the first glimpse through the arch, nothing prepared me for the beauty of the real thing.

Being clear about your character's history and aims dictates how you write about them,

The Bible is especially useful for characters. It is far too easy to forget names and details and without realising it, change them midway. "Who's this Mandy person? We haven't see her before

CREATE A BIBLE This sounds like a pain in the ass, but it pays off, in Spades.  

Bandhavghar used to belong to a Maharaja who invited his wealthy friends, to ride elephants into the forest to hunt tigers.

Of course most of us have told  our family and friends the funny or strange or interesting things that have happened to us to. We've told these stories in the pub or over a meal. But standing in front of an audience that has paid money to hear you is a different kettle of fish.

We took a deep breath and ventured out again.   We'd go to a shopping mall mentioned in the guide book.  A shopping mall would be the kind of place we could look around unmolested, finger the silk, admire exotic saris, have a coffee.

We arrived in Delhi at night.   The taxi drive to our hotel was slightly hairy but we got there. Next morning we pulled back the curtains to see buildings and roads below us.   And monkeys leaping about on a flat roof.   Ahhhh cute.

This is what made me a storyteller. I was lucky. I grew up in a family of storytellers