How in the world did you come up with the idea for this series? I know i am writing a story at the present time, but i needed an inspiration from somewhere, so i guess my question is what was your inspiration?

Hi Kenny,

Hmm, that's a good question. I'm kind of thinking about it myself right now as I'm sitting here waiting for an idea for a new book. Actually, waiting isn't quite right. There are some authors who say everything comes from inspiration - they just get hit with it like a bolt of light and off they go. This has only happened in my experience once - and that was for Bartimaeus. I was trudging along one day on a long walk in the rain and I was trying to think of a way of doing magic etc without repeating what a million other books had done before. And I suddenly wondered if I could turn everything upside down - make the human magicians the bad guys, and make a supernatural demon the guy you rooted for. I also wondered if I could make it work in a modern London setting, with the magicians as politicians. I raced home and wrote these ideas down straight away and a few days later began what became chapter 1 of Amulet. As soon as Bart's voice appeared on the page I knew I was going somewhere.

Having said that, most of my books begin in a much quieter way, jotting down half-ideas and scraps of dialogue, most of which I never look at again. Gradually I begin to piece something together, but it's a slow process. That's what I'm doing now, but I'm going on plenty of LONG walks in the hope of another flash of inspiration.

Good luck with your story,

Jonathan

Thank you. That is actually a good way to go about the thought process. Sorry if you think of it as stealing, but I may have to use that in the future, the walks I mean.

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