Hello from the Isle of Wight. I knew the pandemic would return. When most of the ferries had stopped running, except for freight and essential travel, the island was almost free of infection. But as soon as they started again and hordes of holiday-makers, denied their trips to Benidorm and Ibiza, descended upon us, it was clear the incidence of Covid19 would shoot up. There was no social distancing, an almost complete lack of facemasks and no attempt at self-isolation. I, and many other islanders I have spoken to, felt threatened. Even now the crowds are only slowly reducing.

But to more cheerful topics – I am now more than a third of the way through the third volume of “The Property People” and am gradually coming to realise what an amazing experience it is. The “hero” is not a nice person. He values women for their sexual appeal and for the pleasure and profit he can get out of them. But it has gradually become apparent to me that these women are using him, in return for sex to develop their own talented characters and careers.

I promise you this was not my intention when I started writing “The Property People”. Somehow I seem to have become the unwitting mouthpiece of these women (each remarkable in their different ways). As I write I discover that each of them has their own personal skills and private agendas which I wasn´t aware of when I created them.

Now, when I start each new scene (more than one a day) and think about how I will develop it on my daily walks, I come up with the solution to a problem I have set. I think of course, that is what the woman who is in this scene is aiming for. This is what she wants to happen. Or perhaps my “hero” gets himself into a position where I wonder what is going to happen to the poor fool now? And suddenly I can see that one of the women will step forward to solve the situation – not necessarily to the “hero´s” satisfaction.

Writing is a marvellous activity. I believe, when I start out, that I am creating characters and setting them in an invented world. Then suddenly I discover the characters have taken this world out of my hands and I am simply setting down on paper the story they have given me. It is truly a wonderful experience to be an author.

Love to you all – Michael Hillier.