About Syl

Read: intense sympathy

It took me a long time to learn to read, but once I mastered that skill, I was devoured to books. They took me to unknown places in the present, past or future. I deeply felt for the people, animals and other creatures that populated this world on paper and had fantastic adventures with them. My life would have been a lot less exciting without those adventures.

Writing: an exercise in empathy

When I write, I feel connected to that vast treasure trove of books I've read. I often don't remember exactly what happened in those stories, but what the reading evoked and the emotional journey of the character is always stayed with me. Maybe that's why the emotions and thoughts of the characters are so important to me when writing. They are the core of every book. Writing for me is an exercise in empathy. Again and again I try to imagine how my character feels.

Writing: moment of slow living

The great thing about writing is that I can speed up, slow down or rewind time. I can change the events or choose different words to picture the events until everything is completly right in that very moment of slow living. Anyway, on paper.