When I was a child my mother often refered to me as the 'Elephant's Child' - not I hasten to say because my nose was overlarge or my girth too expansive but because, like Kipling's character, I had such 'satious curtiosity'. My favourite word appears to have been 'why', repeated until the poor distracted soul resorted to the 'cover all' answer of all desperate parents 'Because I say so!'
But asking questions ... and listening to the answers ... is an essential quality for a writer to have. Novelists get the creative juices flowing by asking 'What if ... such a thing happened ' and if their characters are to live and dance on the page, they need to know 'why' a character behaves in the way that he or she does. And non-fiction topics are usually explored to provide answers that someone needs. Most of my books have stemmed from questions. 'What do you say to help the relatives of those who have cancer? What might happen if I began a faith journey that my husband doesn't currently share? How do I keep my marriage fresh or my life in balance? Questions,questions,questions.
I'd love to have your questions - or listen to your solutions as we ask 'What If ... week by week. So watch this space as I attempt to explore life's big questions ... and some of the smaller ones too!
