Black Chalk, In Numbers

700 – the number of days it took to write a first draft of Black Chalk

10 – the number (for the sake of argument) of good ideas you need to hang a moderately complicated plot together

70 – based on the previous two numbers, this is the frequency in days with which you need to have a good idea. People have often said to me ‘oh you must be full of ideas’ or ‘how do you come up with the plot?’ and the secret is time. I am not full of ideas, in fact, most of the time, I feel I am seriously lacking...