Roy Harper once wrote a song with one chord. It was very good. I like a challenge. I thought it would be interesting to try to write a novel with just one character.

That led me down a train of thought. Where would I put my character? Why were they on their own?

I selected the Space Station as the ideal place and decided that the destruction of the Earth was the scenario.

It didn’t quite work out that way. My character had to have a back story. In the end there were a series of other characters involved both on the Space station and with the detection and attempted destruction of the asteroid that destroyed our planet.

But they all started from that first idea and for a large part of the novel my character, Helen Southcote, was on her own.

It provided me with the scope to study the emotions and drive for someone who was utterly on their own without hope of rescue or ever seeing or hearing from another human being.

That was a fascinating study of the human mind and our psychology.

Gradually the novel coalesced and grew.

It is fascinating how one idea and intention spawns so many others. I guess that is writing for you.