This week journalist Jonathan Freedland, who writes thrillers under the pen name Sam Bourne, has published an article called ‘Why the Facts Really Count in Fiction’. In the article, he explains that he takes great care in his writing to ensure that his books are as factually correct as possible.

Author Barbara Trapido has also spoken on this theme, explaining how carefully she checks out the details of her plots and characters. Indeed, at one point, she says, British Telecom were offering her a discount on calls to the National Rail Enquiries line because she used it so often to check the details of journeys for a book she was writing.

In my mind, authors who make such an effort to ensure the integrity of their books are to be commended. Unless you’re writing a fantasy novel, I believe that an essential ingredient of story-telling is being able to make a reader really believe in the fantasy world you’re creating – and that’s just not possible if your character travels from London to Edinburgh by car in one hour, or you describe the Natural History Museum in London as skyscraper.

I always research carefully before beginning a book – reading books, watching films, travelling to places, talking to people who have more knowledge than me. In many ways this is the fun part of writing for me, because I learn so many fascinating new things, and I am inspired in new and exciting ways.

I endeavour to ensure that my writing is imbued with a clear sense of place; and I think because I have been fortunate enough to travel widely in my life, I especially enjoy writing about exotic, colourful, foreign climbs. It can be a challenge to write about countries outside of France and the UK, where I live, but for me that’s part of the joy of writing. In my mind, I escape to far-off lands. I imagine the tastes and sounds and scents and sights and textures to the degree that I am quite transported. The more I research, the more vivid the world in my mind becomes, and the more real, I hope, it becomes on paper.