“It is easy to be inspired by history when you're living in a part of i...” — Simon Toyne Quote

It is easy to be inspired by history when you're living in a part of it and allow that to seep into your writing: having said that, a minimalist room with no distractions is often better; the most exciting visions should already be in your head.

I figured if I write a modern thriller but spliced in the DNA of a classic western - the drifter who comes into town with secrets - I could do something interesting with both genres. Westerns are also an incarnation of the classic knight errant tale, the lone warrior with a moral code, and I love those types of stories.

I wrote 'The Searcher' because I love westerns, and they've fallen out of fashion.

If, after five years, I hadn't had anything published, I was just going to forget it and go back to TV full-time until I retired or they put me out to pasture.

In the professional sporting world there are a number of distractions that can take you away from some of those smaller things that are really important and keep you grounded.

I don't use the Internet, as I don't like living with lots of distractions. I have tried, but I found it a hindrance. as my sense of priorities goes out of the window and it pulls me out of my writing, particularly with email. I'd sit there for hours just replying to emails.

I've fought on 'The Ultimate Fighter' in front of 30-40 people, and I kinda like that. There's no distractions.

Let's face it: Most teams don't like distractions.