Been reading Saul Bellow again. I really shouldn't - it just makes me want to write just like him. The man's a genius, and gets better as I get older, and you can't say that about much fiction.

I'm running a writers' salon at the Hospital Club on Monday. Thirty people sitting around in the Martini Lounge talking about writing. It might be great; it might be awful. Depends how pretentious people want to be. I'm thinking of wearing my new double-breasted suit. My friend Paul is interviewing me to kick it off. I'm going to talk about how heartbreaking being published is!

I'm desperate to start my third novel.

Can't stop buying books by or about Wallace Stevens on ebay.

My house sale just fell through because buyer turned out to be insane. It's now back on the market.

Having finished my second novel for publication (Aug 06; Penguin) and turned 40 (Aug 05), I've been musing on my influences. Somehow I don't expect to influenced much more from now on. I think after a certain point one's style is fixed (within a flexible fixedness, that is), and is no longer susceptible to other strong voices. This certainly wasn't the case ten years ago, and I wrestled often with what Harold Bloom calls the "Anxiety of Influence". Below are the books that I think have influenced my writing (there's a lot of biggies) in a permanent and irriducible way. I should clarify: influenced my writing, not to becoming a writer, which is something entirely different, and something I cannot answer.

List runs from earliest to most recent influence.

1. Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky

2. The Outside - Albert Camus

3. A La Recherche de la Temps Perdu - Marcel Proust

4. Poetry, Language, Thought - Martin Heidegger

5. The Runaway Soul - Harold Brodkey

6. Herzog - Saul Bellow

7. Collected Poems - Wallace Stevens

The strong reader of my new novel will find them all there, seething below the prose, but hopefully not rearing through it.

Analysis:

No writers from the UK!

4 Europeans to 3 Americans.

Really only one 19th century writer.

They are all - arguably - from the same philosophical tradition, started by Dostoyevsky, if you recognise his influence on Nietszche.

And lastly, I've set myself up to fail!

just deleted a couple of entries - pictures of my twins - because for some reason they weren't appearing when people surfed in. Will try and post them up another time.

Just seen the cover of new novel "Saving Caravaggio". I love it. As some of you may know, I had issues with original cover of first novel (not the one in left hand corner now - which I like), but not so this time. Very atmospheric. Literary, noir-ish, intriguing and commerical. I will post it up once it's been finessed and my editor says it's 'good to go'.

A couple of people have read the novel and have been very enthusiastic. This is heartening. I'm also happy its style is commented on just as much as its story.

I have to write to a few big author names in search of endorsement over the next few weeks. It's hard to know how to start a letter that is after something and not make it sound cheap and opportunistic. But without endorsements these days, unless you're already famous, or incredibly young, it's hard to differentiate your work, however different it is. If anyone out there has a hotline to a relevant writer, do let me know.

Had an argument with an old friend about the plot of my next novel. It was weird: the more he said it was implausible, the more I realised how fascinating I found the psychological set-up I'm going to write about, how rich it is, and if I can make it work, how good a book it could be. In terms of mind-set he is a politican; I am a psychologist. It shocks me how different our readings of the same situation were.

I am looking forward to starting it, but I need to do a bucket load of research, and I need to write up some radio pitches beforehand, and those troublesome author letters.

I'm also starting a Writers' Salon at The Hospital Club if anyone's interested.

It's hard beginning a new novel - it all feels so made-up. You need at least 30, 000 words of invention before you believe in the world you've created actually exists; when, as the writer, you can buy-in to the suspension of disbelief that you want the reader to buy-in to. Just reached it yesterday, the day before I am due back at work - today. Now I have to put it aside, for work, obviously, but also copy-editing Saving Caravaggio and radio play proposals I have to prepare for beginning of Feb.

Started reading Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America". It's been a couple of years since I read a Roth book - one of my favourite writers. It's such an emotional and intellectual pleasure. Plus, reading his long sentences is about as close as I'll get to a rollercoaster ride.

buyers pulled out 3hrs before exchange because they are a couple of self-regarding, precious w**k**s. If you want a victorian terrace house, understand it comes with problems!

New offer within 24hrs for 3% more...ha!

check this out:

that is the cover of my novel in Russia. Class!