At the age of eight, the world is a kaleidoscope of colour, possibility, and stories waiting to be told. What, then, could inspire a child to pick up a pen and begin weaving worlds from words? The answer lies in the gentle collision of curiosity, wonder, and the magic of discovery. I grew up in the UK in the sixties, where television became the norm for every household, and Doctor Who and James Bond became icons and England won the World Cup. For many young writers, inspiration comes like a sudden ray of sunlight through the clouds—bright, unexpected, and impossible to ignore. Perhaps it was the first time you opened a storybook and felt the pages come alive in your hands, the characters whispering secrets only you could hear. Or maybe it was a bedtime tale spun by a loved one, each word kindling a longing to tell stories of your own. At eight, the imagination runs wild and free. Dragons might slumber beneath your bed, and secret doorways could open in the most ordinary places. The desire to capture these hidden worlds, to shape them and share them, becomes a powerful call. Writing, then, is both a vessel and an adventure—one where you are the explorer and the mapmaker. Sometimes, inspiration is found in the small, shimmering moments of everyday life: the laughter of friends on a playground, the quiet of a rainy afternoon, or the first snowfall of the year. These moments beg to be remembered, and writing offers a way to keep them forever. The spark might also come from those around you—a teacher who praised your way with words, a parent who filled your shelves with books, or a sibling who listened, wide-eyed, to your tales. Their encouragement becomes the wind beneath your wings, helping you soar above self-doubt. Above all, writing at eight can be about finding your place in the universe. Each story is a declaration: I am here, I have something to say, and my voice matters. In the act of creation, you discover not only the stories you wish to tell, but the storyteller within. In the end, what inspired you to start writing at the age of eight was a blend of magic and meaning, of fleeting moments and timeless dreams. With every word, you built a bridge between your heart and the world—a bridge you would cross again and again, for years to come.

A former military intelligence officer in a quiet English village is drawn back into a covert investigation following the mysterious crash of a German zeppelin at Orford Ness, uncovering secrets of espionage, a hidden murder, and community tensions entwined with the war's shadow.