An interview with Abi Elphinstone by Tizzie Frankish

With more at stake then ever before, can Moll and her friends stop the Shadowmasks before its too late?

As a writer of Middle Grade and a huge fan of adventure stories, its is my pleasure to welcome Abi Elphinstone, author of The Dreamsnatcher and the soon to be released sequel The Shadow Keeper.

A thrillingly wild adventure – bold, breathless and beautifully told’ Jonathan Stroud

So, grab your catapult and join us on our adventure where we crack the secret code for  bringing stories to life, share secret pasts and save the life of a certain earthworm...

I wholeheartedly agree with Katherine Rundell, who said of the Dreamsnatcher; “An outstanding debut packed with suspense, adventure and heart”. What magic and mysteries can we expect from The Shadowkeeper?

I wanted to build on Moll’s world in The Shadow Keeper – to draw her out of the forest towards a coastline puckered by caves, waterfalls and fishing villages – and as her world grew, so did the magic. But I needed to make sure the fantasy elements enhanced, rather than detracted from, my seaside setting. Originally I thought I’d stop at kelpies and grindylows but because I tried to make the plot in this book bolder, and the sense of peril greater, I felt an unstoppable urge to add yet more magic. Cue grim whispers, cursed owls, spells uttered inside secret caves and codes read out in the Oracle Bones.

Sounds exciting. I cant wait to read more about their adventures... Moll is an impulsive and courageous character and if social media photos are anything to go by there is more than a dash of Elphinstone in Moll.  What was the inspiration for this feisty protagonist?

Writing Moll is like writing my autobiography one exhausting step at a time. I loved reading feisty heroines as a child (Lyra from Northern Lights, Maia from Journey To The River Sea and Bonnie from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase) and I expect the inspiration for Moll’s friendship with her wildcat, Gryff, came from Pullman’s Lyra and Pantalaimon, but ultimately what inspired my protagonist was thinking back to the fear, excitement and wonder of being twelve. I grew up with two younger brothers and a younger sister. If we were perched on a cliff top overlooking the sea, I made sure I jumped off first. There was a tone to set. If we were leaping over bamboo canes in the garden, I made sure I leapt higher than my brothers. And out of this fierce outdoor rivalry came Moll: plucky, determined and hopelessly impulsive.

Alfie is an intriguing character and I would love to know more about him. What has he got in store for us in The Shadow Keeper?

In The Dreamsnatcher Alfie runs away from Skull’s camp to help Moll find the Amulets of Truth and while writing my debut, I knew that Alfie’s past was complicated – that there were secrets he was holding back from Moll and Sid. But it wasn’t until I had written the first few chapters of The Shadow Keeper that I realised who Alfie was. I was walking down the street one day and everything about his past suddenly popped into my head. I didn’t have a piece of paper to write on so I took a leaf from a tree in the park and scribbled his story onto it (I still have that leaf in my writing shed J). I don’t want to reveal too much about Alfie at this stage but I can say that in The Shadow Keeper Moll discovers who he really is. And there are tears.

No! Not the tears... I’m a massive fan of animal sidekicks in books. In your series there is Moll and Gryff and Siddy and his earthworm pet. Was Siddy always saddled with an earthworm or did you audition other sidekicks for him?

In The Dreamsnatcher, I included an earthworm called Porridge The Second. I felt that non-stop witch doctor antics would have been a little overwhelming and an apathetic earthworm would provide a suitable antidote to the dark magic. But when I considered having Moll squash Porridge The Second in The Shadow Keeper, my editor (and numerous fans) begged for his life. He lives, in The Shadow Keeper, but remains in the forest and down by the sea Siddy adopts a crab, Hermit, who is terrified of absolutely everything. Even his own pincers. 

Ah Hermit sounds delightful... I loved reading The Dreamsnatcher and appreciated the hints of Pullman and Lewis, which reignited my childhood memories. Which book from your childhood had the biggest impact on you as both a reader and a writer?

It’s a tough call between The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. No moment in literature has affected me so powerfully as the moment Lucy Pevensie pushes open that wardrobe door – except, perhaps, Lyra riding Iorek over the Arctic ice plains. As a reader, these stories filled me with wonder and made me hungry for magic. Now, I read a lot of contemporary children’s books and they have definitely coloured how I write. Michelle Paver (and her excellent Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series) taught me how to write action scenes, David Almond showed me that magic doesn’t need to be all signing and dancing to be powerful and believable (Skellig remains one of my favourite books) and Katherine Rundell’s writing, particularly in The Wolf Wilder, makes me want to take time over every word I write.

There is much to be said about the trials and tribulations of ‘Second Story Syndrome’.  How did you find writing a sequel compared to the first book? And how is the third book coming along?

I found writing my debut hard. Very hard. As most people already know, I had 96 rejections from literary agents on the books I wrote before The Dreamsnatcher so it was a long and winding struggle to get my book deal. But weirdly, I didn’t find writing my second book that difficult. I had the world and my protagonist set up – and I had amulets still waiting to be found... The plot poured out (perhaps because I plan/sketch each chapter before writing) but I had to work much harder at the character progression. And Book 3? (here's hoping...) You’re not meant to know that there is a Book 3 because it hasn’t been announced yet but… I submitted it on Monday and it’s a northern adventure – full of mountains, lochs, castles, moors and kilts – and I absolutely loved writing it. 

Yippeeee!... So, what’s next after the Dreamsnatcher series?

Again, I’m not supposed to reveal too much at this stage but I can tell you that I’m doing an Arctic series next. I spent a few days in the Lofoten Islands, north of Norway, over New Year and have come back armed with stories involving orcas, polar nights and glaciers. I’ve got a few characters in my head, too – Eska, Flint and an Arctic fox pup who lives in the hood of someone’s jacket. 

You travel to the ends of the earth when researching your books. Why do you feel this is an important part of your writing process?

On the one hand, I travel because I am full of wonder at our incredible world and, as author John Muir said, ‘The world’s big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark’ but on the other hand, I travel because my adventures bring my stories to life. If I’ve learnt how to carve catapults from ash, sculpt knife handles from hazel, fashion bows from yew and fletch arrows with buzzard feathers with one of Britain’s last ‘real’ Romany gypsies I can picture my main character, Moll, doing the same. And if I’ve abseiled into a cave in the heart of the Brazilian jungle, I can imagine how Moll and her Tribe would feel encountering caves filled with stalactites and brooding shadows. I’m dyslexic and my processing skills are dreadful so I crave visual prompts throughout the writing process; my adventures spark the ideas for fictional worlds but it’s the maps I draw afterwards that anchor them into a plot.

I adore Narwhals (and Artic Foxes now that you mention it!) and a little birdie tells me that they may make an appearance in one of your books.  Can you give anything away?

Ah, the unicorns of the sea. Yes, they’ll be in the book. Scientists still don’t know why narwhals have a tusk but I’m pretty sure my heroine, Eska, is going to uncover the truth.

You are a huge advocate for Middle Grade stories. What do you love the most about writing for this age group?

I love the scale of adventure, the bravery of the children and, as I often say, the sense of wonder at the heart of these stories.

Quick fire questions:

I create my characters names by… glancing at cocktail lists, signposts, shower gels in TK Maxx and, rather morbidly, gravestones.

What comes first: the character or the plot? The setting.

My favourite word is… goblin.

The book I wish I’d written is… The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

If you could add anything to the school curriculum, what would it be? Starjumps. They’re good for the soul.

One thing you don’t know about me is… I once ate 14 pieces of toast – IN A ROW – at my friend’s house. I was 12 – and hungry.

Hiking or biking? Hiking.

My perfect day is … Walking across the Scottish moors.

 

 

Moll Pecksniff and her friends are living as outlaws in a secret cave by the sea, desperate to stay hidden from the Shadowmasks. But further along the coast lies the Amulet of Truth, the only thing powerful enough to force the Shadowmasks back and contain their dark magic.

 So, together with Gryff, the wildcat that’s always by her side, and her best friends Alfie and Sid, Moll must sneak past smugglers, outwit mer creatures and crack secret codes to save the Old Magic. 

With more at stake than ever before and the dark magic rising fast, can Moll and her friends stop the Shadowmasks before it’s too late?





The Shadow Keeper is published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK on 25th February and  can be pre-ordered by clicking on this link  

 A massive thank you to Abi for taking the time to answer my questions and for giving us a glimpse into her writing life. 

 http://www.abielphinstone.com/
http://moontrug.com/
 @moontrug

Interview by Tizzie Frankish 

www.tizziefrankish.com      
@tizzief

An Interview with Lara Williamson by Tizzie Frankish

When you lose someone, goodbye isn’t the end...

As a reader of 'heartbreak and humour' stories, I am delighted to welcome Lara Williamson author of A Boy Called Hope and her new book The Boy who sailed the Ocean in an Armchair...

An extraordinary story of courage, dreams and finding your way.

So, pull up an armchair * and join us on our journey where we navigate the tricky waters of 'second story' syndrome, ride the waves of writing for Middle Grade and sail with the silent snail who has a starring role. 

* Jaffa Cakes optional

A Boy Called Hope epitomises the phrase ‘Humour and Heartbreak’. Can we expect the same emotional pulls from The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair?

I think you can. I’ve always thought humour and heartbreak are very close. One minute you’re laughing and the next crying. I’d like to think I take the character in the book on an emotional journey with lots of humour and highs followed by lows, moments where it’s hard to see the way forward and perhaps in some cases no way forward at all. Then by the ending I leave that character happy; knowing that they’ve grown in some way and they’re stronger for the experience.

How did Becket find you? Did he surf into your subconscious and appear fully formed or did he sail around the side lines for a while?

I was on a writing course and we were writing a piece that could be the beginnings of a new book. To be honest, I didn’t really have an actual book idea but what I did have was an image inside my head that would not go away. I could see an ocean and there was an armchair sailing on it with two brothers aboard. Each was comforting the other as they negotiated turbulent waters towards their destination. Instinctively, I knew that it wasn’t just about the destination but the journey. The title The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair came to me that day and never changed. Basically, I wrote the book around that image I had in my head.

I love Ninja Grace (Dan Hope’s word-witty sister) and Charles Scallybones (Dan’s chewing-spewing dog). What roles do Billy (Becket’s brother) and Brian (Billy’s pet snail) play in The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair?

Billy is Becket’s little brother and the relationship between them is important. As their mother has died Becket is trying to take over her role in looking after his little brother, in telling him stories to comfort him when things are hard. Family is everything to me and in both my books they end up being the glue that binds everything together. When I wrote the first draft of The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair I didn’t have any animals and I realised I missed having one. It would have been obvious to have a cat so I went for something completely random and ended up with a snail. And I actually love that snail because he says and does nothing but in the end he has an important role to play.

So far, the characters in your books (Dan in A Boy Called Hope and Becket in The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair) are boys. Where do you find inspiration for these authentic characters?

I think I tend to write stories from the heart whether the main character is a boy or a girl. Everyone knows what it feels like to be rejected or lonely or to suffer loss, sadness and happiness and that’s usually the starting point for me. From there the character grows and blossoms.

We often hear of the trials and tribulations of ‘second story syndrome’. Was writing The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair a difficult process for you and how much did it differ from writing your first published book?

Not that I’m an authority but I imagine each book can throw up its own set of problems. With the first you have the luxury of time and so you might spend years writing it and then still have the time to set it aside and come back later with fresh eyes. The second book is going to be to a deadline and so that is guaranteed to make it feel different. Also, you want the second to be as good, if not better, than the first. But I have enjoyed writing both books for different reasons and now I’m really looking forward to the third. Wait… is there a third story syndrome?

You will have to come back and let us know. Both your books are for the 8-12 age group. What is it about writing for this age that appeals to you?

To be honest, I’ve never really grown up and I’m still about 8-12 inside my head so it feels pretty natural to write for this age group. In fact, I have really strong memories of my childhood and it was a time when I felt like I had the whole world ahead of me, anything was possible. Not that everything was totally perfect, but it was magical to me in many ways and I want to hold on to that feeling for ever. Writing for this age group allows me to do that.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Panster! I have a beginning in my mind and I know the ending but I like to be surprised in the middle. For me, if I plotted everything with precision I might not enjoy any little twists and turns that unexpectedly come my way. That’s not to say that while I’m on the journey I don’t go to a dead end and have to back track and find another route and that takes up valuable time. I’ve realised I’m very much the same in real life. For example: if I’m on a motorway and there’s a jam I would rather turn off and get lost going around little villages in order to get to my destination. And I will reach the destination, it might take me longer, but the journey will have been all the more exciting.

You have talked about re-reading your diaries from when you were growing up (my toes are curling for you!). Do you think writing diaries was where your love for writing began?

I’ve tried to think of a time when I didn’t write or draw and I can’t remember one.  Even from a young age I was writing little stories and illustrating them. My primary school had a shield for the best handwriting and winning it was one of my proudest moments. Still is. And when I wasn’t writing I was making up plays with my friends and putting them on. At the age of ten I started keeping a diary and kept one until I was twenty-one and I’m so happy I did. Now I realise, looking back, that there are things in my diary that inspired me to write both books. And they’re not life changing things either they’re just random things like the dog chewed my favourite rubber ball (does that remind you of a certain dog in A Boy Called Hope?).

Whatever happened to Julie and Jenny of Lakeview School? Will their story ever be finished?

Ah, lovely Julie and Jenny of Lakeview. This was the first book I ever wrote aged ten and I think I was inspired by St Clare’s and Malory Towers. Thing is, I didn’t have the first clue about lacrosse or boarding schools and so I eventually ran out of steam after a few chapters. Tempting as it is to bring back Julie and Jenny and their shenanigans at Lakeview I feel that they have served their purpose. That being they prepared me for writing a book later on in life and for that reason alone I shall always have a soft spot for the pair of them.

Finish these statements:

If I wasn’t a writer, I would be a dancer. As a child I imagined I was a ballerina despite never taking a ballet class. Now I tap dance and although I’m never going to set the world alight with my fancy footwork I imagine I’m on Strictly Come Dancing when I dance. Ah, isn’t imagination wonderful?

My favourite thing about being an author is everything. Writing allows me be anyone or anything, to live in any world of my own making. How lucky to be able to say that you can daydream and get paid for it. And then to have people read and connect with your words is amazing. I will never stop being excited about this.

I write best when I am at my desk by 9.30 with a cup of lemon and ginger tea (with biscuits nearby).

Growing up, I wanted to be a forensic scientist or a fashion designer.

My special talent is wiggling my ears, raising one eyebrow and flaring my nostrils. Yes, I have a very flexible face.

My favourite form of potato is chips.

My word of the day is serendipity. When you’re writing and you get a moment of serendipity it’s the best.

If I could be a character from any book, I would be Moon-Face from The Enchanted Wood.

The character in my next book is called… I’m going to leave you wanting more by saying you’ll have to wait and see.

Untill then... fill the wait by reading The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair, which is published by Usborne on 1st October. Paperback £5.99 or click on the link below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Boy-Sailed-Ocean-Armchair/dp/1409576329

Becket Rumsey is all at sea.

More than anything he needs to say goodbye to a loved one.
His dad has run away with him and his brother Billy in the middle of the night. And they’ve left everything behind, including their almost-mum Pearl. Becket has no idea what’s going on – it’s a mystery.

So with the help of Billy and a snail called Brian, Becket sets out on a journey of discovery. It’s not plain sailing but then what journeys ever are?

When you lose someone, goodbye isn’t the end. There is no full stop. It’s just the beginning of a new and different journey. Then again, that’s something Becket needs to discover for himself.

http://larawilliamson.weebly.com/

Thank Lara for taking the time to answer our questions. Happy writing!

Interview by Tizzie Frankish 

www.tizziefrankish.com       @tizzief

An Interview with Stephan Pastis by Tizzie Frankish

"When you lose hope, find it." -Timmy Failure

As a writer of humorous stories, I am pleased to welcome Stephan Pastis author/ illustrator of the fabulously funny Timmy Failure books to the Middle Grade Strikes Back Blog.

For those of you not yet acquainted the Timmy Failure books feature a hapless detective, his business partner Total the polar bear and their plans for world domination. Timmy is the founder, president and CEO of the best detective agency in town, probably the world but unfortunately for him, failure is an option! And it’s a theme that unbeknownst to Timmy continues through all the books in the series.

Stephan was in the UK to promote ‘Timmy Failure: Now look what you have done’ which is now available in paperback and very kindly stopped by to share his deepest, darkest thoughts on the worst detective in town, probably the world! 

So without further ado… 

You’ve previously said ‘Pearls before Swine’ was your escape route from ‘evil lawyer to kind-heart-hearted cartoonist’. So what encouraged you to make the leap into writing and drawing for children?

The amount of space and freedom that writing a book gives you. It gives you 200 blank pages to tell any story you want. That’s something I don’t have with a comic strip – with the strip I only have 3 panels to tell my story.

So, when did Timmy Failure appear on the scene? Did he wrestle his way into your consciousness or hang around in the wings for a while? What came first his voice or his picture?

His picture came first – I was sitting around doodling, and this picture of a little kid with a scarf appeared on the page, and I was writing in the margins what this kid would be like – he’d be a detective, he wouldn’t be very smart, he’d need a sidekick. I remember I sat down consciously to think what character would I base the book on, and Timmy was the first guy I drew.  His voice came really easily - I love that kind of character where they’re dumb, but arrogant.

 Dumb and arrogant definitely come together to create laugh out loud moments, especially with Total by his side. But, if Timmy’s partner in solving crimes wasn’t Total the Polar Bear who would it have been? Did you have a back-up buddy for him?

 I did not have a back-up-buddy for Timmy, but if I did I think it would be a monkey, I love monkeys.

 Timmy and Total are quite possibly the worst duo in the history of the world for solving mysteries. Where did the idea for a detective series come from and why are they so rubbish at it?

Because every kid’s book I read with a kid detective had the same type of character in it every time; a smart, clever character who could do or solve anything – it seemed so well established that I thought it would be kind of funny to do that type of character but have him not be smart in any way. That made me laugh. I like a characters’ blind spot; the difference between who they are and who they think they are – and the wider that gap, the funnier the character.

 My children and I love the witty line drawings which add another layer of humour to the stories. What comes first the story or the drawings?

 The story always comes first – without the story I wouldn’t know what to illustrate. I leave little gaps in there for where I think a drawing would work, and I make a little note like “show Timmy with broken leg falling off statue here” for myself.

 Your enjoyment for what you do (create stories that make us laugh) clearly comes across in your work. Do you have a particular audience/child in mind when you’re writing?

 Myself. I just try to make myself laugh. Secondarily, I try to make my own kids laugh – they are the first people to read the books.

 Which book in the Timmy Failure series did you enjoy writing the most? And is the one you enjoyed writing the most your favourite?

 I like every single one of them, I take 7 weeks off from writing the comic strip during the summer and I enjoy it every time – I’m looking forward to doing the same this summer!

 Another summer of fun, no doubt! There are lots of funny characters in the books (Flo is a particular favourite of mine!) If you could pick one of your characters for a spin off series, who would it be and why?

Probably Corrina Corrina, I think she’d be the most interesting, because she has a lot of similarities to Timmy but there a lot of blank spots on her life. It would be fun to go in and fill some of them in and find out a little more about her.

The fourth book in the series; Timmy Failure: Sanitized for your Protection, is out in October.  What trials and tribulations can we expect from the hapless detective this time round?

 Timmy is going to run away from home and get arrested and that’s all I can say for now!

And just when you thought life for Timmy Failure couldn’t get any worse… After Sanitized for your Protection, how many more Timmy Failure books do you have left up your sleeve?

 I think there’ll be two or three more, I know where he’s going to end up and I’ve always had the ending in mind, I just need to figure out how he gets there…

Quick fire questions:

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Pantser

What do you like best drawing or writing? Writing

Are you left handed or right handed?

It depends, for drawing I use my right hand.

What do you like best comics or books?

I like writing the books the best.

Chicken nuggets or sausages?  (I know what Total would answer!)

I like sausages.

Questions from the kids:

I love the drawings in the books. How many are there in a book? (Ollie age 7)

About 3 every 2 pages, so that would be 300-ish drawings.

Timmy Failure doesn’t have a mouth. Why is that? (Ollie)

Because he looks very funny and odd with one.

Does Total really exist? My brother says he doesn’t, but I think he does. (James age 5)

It depends how you read the book, I think you can legitimately read it and see it as he’s in Timmy’s imagination and I think you can read it and legitimately see that he’s a real-life character. I leave it up to the reader.

What were your favourite books when you were my age (5)? (James)

I read a lot as a kid, I remember reading all the C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia books, and How to Eat Fried Green Worms, A Wrinkle in Time, The Phantom Tollbooth – there were a lot!

Did you feel like Timmy Failure when you were a kid? (Rory age 9)

I still feel like Timmy Failure.

Thanks Stephan for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions and for sharing your insights into the world of Timmy and his creation. I look forward to the release of Timmy Failure: Sanitized for your Protection in October. Until then…

‘The seal became dinner. The End!”

Timmy Failure: Now Look What You’ve Done is now available in paperback, £6.99

Or click on the book below

www.timmyfailure.com

https://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/

Interview by Tizzie Frankish 

www.tizziefrankish.com       @tizzief