Dougald Lamont

I've written two books for young readers: The Jinx, and Three Dreams Deep.

I've worked for newspapers and magazines, been a freelance writer and editor and speechwriter. I've also a been a print designer and for fun I've played in some bands. (You can hear some of the original songs and music I've written at the link below on Soundcloud)

The inspiration for The Jinx - and almost all of its writing - took place in the middle of the night. I had a dream that I was having such bad luck, and it was affecting the people around me, so I had to run away to keep them safe. It was very vivid, and I remembered it strongly when I woke up the next morning.

I wrote most of the book the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep! I would wake up at 3AM, write for an hour and a half, go back to sleep and hope it was decent.

For Three Dreams Deep, I also relied on dreams and sleep for inspiration - in this case recurring dreams I've had, as well as particularly vivid dreams that stuck with me - fever dreams, childhood nightmares and more.

When it comes to reading, or movies, I like art that conveys the sense of a whole world. I like to be delighted, surprised, and convinced that what I am seeing is real - no matter how crazy.

I love Grant Morrison's Superman and Neal Adams's Batman; Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, the Aubrey/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian, and the Chinese Murder Mysteries of Robert Van Gulik. I also love comedy: Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Stephen Colbert (after whom the hero in The Jinx is named).

I was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but have lived in Toronto, Montreal and Kingston. Growing up, every two years we should travel to the UK to spend time with my grandparents. I live in Winnipeg with my wife and children.

Author and comedian John Hodgman (he is a Daily Show Correspondent and played the PC in Mac commercials) thanked me for a very minor contribution to his most recent book, "THAT IS ALL" by naming me an "Expert in Many Worlds Theory."