Tim Lebbon’s new novel, The Folded Land, is out now from Titan Books, the sequel to last year’s Relics which introduced readers to a secret world beneath the streets of London. A black market specialising in arcane items from creatures few ever believed existed: satyrs and centaurs, Nephilim and wraiths. The new novel takes the action across to America. In this piece, prolific author Lebbon discusses how his exercise regimen feeds into his writing…

For the past 7 or 8 years, exercise has ensured that my time spent sitting and writing is only a portion of my day. I’m probably one of those annoying converts, like an ex-smoker going on about the virtues of non-smoking, but I’ve found great pleasure in the benefits of pursing a life of fitness and well-being, as opposed to spending 10 hours a day sitting behind my desk. There’s a balance to be reached.

Finding the balance isn’t easy.

There was a definite moment when I switched from being overweight and unfit, and onto a path in pursuit of better fitness. I can remember the exact moment, in fact – it was when I met an old friend who’d got fit and lost weight, and I was inspired to do the same. Before then, I had always tried to do exercise for the main aim of being fitter. I sometimes went for a run (a mile or two), or a bike ride (5 or 6 miles) or a walk in the hills with my family. I’ve tried playing badminton and squash, and have held memberships at various gyms. What changed after that revelatory moment was making exercise a way of life, and enjoying it, rather than simply doing it to keep fit.

I’ve change a lot since then, and I now do some form of exercise 6 days out of 7 each week. I swim, bike and run, or do Pilates, or indulge in strength and conditioning work. I’ve lost a lot of weight. I regularly race in triathlons, and running and cycling races, and it’s as much a part of my life now as the writing.

And here’s the important bit, because this is a book blog… it helps my writing, too! Although exercise takes time – and sometimes, even I’m thinking it’s time I could be spending at my desk making stuff up – it is without a doubt time well spent. But how, and why?

From the outside, there’s no direct link. Sitting and making up stories, putting them down on paper, revising and refining, that’s all a product of the mind, right? Maybe so. But you’ll find a lot of writers who exercise as a vital part of their creative routines. The imagination is a muscle. It’s different from your body’s muscles, true, but it can grow tired and overused, and I also believe that it can be developed and nurtured over time and with careful use and maintenance.

Exercise clears the mind. Blows away the cobwebs. Reduces fatigue. It makes you feel good, and when you’re about to sit down at your desk to create whole new worlds, characters and situations, feeling good and fresh is a great place to start.

I’m not one of those writers who normally works through plot or story points when I’m training. But a writer is always working, and taking a ten mile run allows the mind to wander. Sometimes it wanders into places that are relevant to the story you’re currently trying to tell, sometimes not. But it’s never wasted time. If you return home with your mind cleared and ready to work, that’s great. If at the end of a session you have a solution to a problem, that’s even better. Or if, like me this morning, you have a revelation when you’re out – a new screenplay idea with beginning, middle and end – that’s one of exercise’s greatest gifts. Enjoying running, feeling fit and healthy, and being able to destroy the world all at the same time… there are worse jobs out there.

If you’re a writer and feel that you ‘don’t have time’ to exercise (I hear this a lot), give it a go. Find an hour here and there. Yes, it’s time away from your desk, but once you’ve settled into a routine I’d be surprised if you didn’t feel it was good use of that time. And really, there are no downsides to feeling fitter and healthier than before. Your stories, and therefore your readers, will thank you for it.

The Folded Land is out now from Titan Books