Lisa Saffron's Reading Interests

Checkpoint is my first novel. I wrote it in order to work through my own painful and confused feelings about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Visits to Israel and the occupied territories with a study tour and a Compassionate Listening delegation inspired and informed me. I came home to England wanting to share what I had gained with others who are also disturbed and confused by this ongoing conflict. I’ve been in a creative writing group for years and have written and published non-fiction books, but the idea of writing a novel had never appealed to me. So it was a surprise to me when the idea popped into my head and took root. I was winding down a charity I’d set up that wasn’t going anywhere, and I was open to another big project.
At that time, a woman in my writing group recommended Evan Marshall’s book, Novel Writing—16 Steps to Success. I read all 16 steps in one evening and knew exactly what I’d be doing for the next year. I realised that writing a novel would be an effective and powerful way for me to express the feelings I have about Israel and Palestine. Marshall’s book gave me a strategy, which I followed to the letter. It appealed to the logical, organized side of my brain. I nourished the creative side with Deena Metzger’s Writing for Your Life—a guide and companion to the inner worlds.