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I read as many scripts as I can and just find stuff that I think is interesting, find stories that I think are worth telling.

It's my job to write the best book I can each month and hand my scripts in. Everything else is beyond my control.

Once I'm committed to a role, I will go very deep into it, even when I'm not at work. I'll keep on studying the script, maybe 40 or 50 times. I might call a scriptwriter at three in the morning to say I've thought of something new.

I'm reading scripts, desperately wanting to work. I've set a couple of things up for next year.

The first thing that attracts me to any script is the writing. If I find myself becoming lost in a good yarn, then I feel certain that others will, too.

I started as a playwright. Any sort of scriptwriting you do helps you hone your story. You have the same demands of creating a plot, developing relatable characters and keeping your audience invested in your story. My books are basically structured like three-act plays.

Possibly because I did start off as a journalist, my starting point has always been that you've got to keep an audience with you. Whatever you're doing, you always want a script to be a page-turner. It's very important never, ever, to feel above that.

I'm always determined that as a novelist I'm going to go out there and research my characters very thoroughly before I start writing.