Most Of The People Who Write To

There's A Real Emphasis On Being Witty In Scotland, Even In Crime Novels.

I Respond Very Well To Rules. If There Are Certain Parameters It's Much Easier To Do Something Really Good. Especially When Readers Know What Those Are. They Know What To Expect And Then You Have To Wrong-foot Them. That Is The Trick Of Crime Fiction. And Readers Come To Crime And Graphic Novels Wanting To Be Entertained, Or Disgusted.

None Of Us Know What Is Going To Sell Or What People Want To Read.

We Don't Really Go In For Big Family Dinners, But Scottish People Are Famously Confrontational. It's A Cultural Thing, So Maybe We Don't Need To Have Them To Clear The Air. Also, Traditional Family Food Isn't As Nice Here So There's No Payoff For Traveling Hundreds Of Miles.

I Came From This Very Traditional Background And I Benefited Hugely From Feminism. I Felt Privileged Going To University And Doing A Phd. Most People Of My Background Don't Get To Do That.