in a way, cynan, this book is a simple description of absolute terror, isn't it? it is.s a man blinded by a flash of light, if you want to call it that, and in the thrall of that with an underlying idea that there is much more than his own encapsulation in that sudden moment, sort of thing. it's a really difficult thing to try and transmit in writing. he loses everything. he thinks he's going to lose his life. he loses his mind in some ways, there's a wonderful moment where he sees the label on a bag in the kayak. and he says, with his name on it, and he says it's like looking into an empty cup. it's all gone. how difficult was it to imagine what that feeling is like? i think a lot of what i do comes from the process that i have of building a story in my mind before going near the desk. so i like to start writing after i can see something, and i write as if i'm remembering. i don't want to discuss what we learn at the beginning of the book too much, because it might spoil it a little bit for people who are going to read it. but i think what we can say is that it's a pict