As with most of my stories, the idea for Benedict Bagshaw and the Arborels came from a scene which unexpectedly popped into my head and then played out in my mind like a movie. There was rich dialogue, emotion and plenty of excitement, and I couldn’t wait to get it all down on paper. The scene was that of a girl, sitting in the back of a taxi, who was desperate to get to her friend’s house. She had just worked out who his father was and couldn’t wait to tell him.
Obviously the news was shocking, and numerous storylines could have developed from that one scene, but it was the revelation itself and how it can transform someone’s life forever which fascinated me.
As it turned out, I never used the scene, or the character it centered around. I did get it all down on paper however and as I wrote, a story with a similar theme slowly mapped itself out before me.
I never intended to write about another world, but as the theme of finding out whose ones parents are, has been encountered many times before, I wanted to create a setting which was completely unique.
The Setting
The setting was unexpected. Having not really delved into writing a fantasy novel, I did need to dig deep into my imagination for inspiration. I had always been a huge fan Percy Jackson and so I knew that this would offer huge inspiration for me. Read more about my love of the Percy Jackson series and how it influenced Benedict Bagshaw and the Arborels.
I always loved the idea that anything is possible, but it actually felt more like a hindrance to me; a bit like having too much choice in a supermarket. Creating mood boards on Pinterest helped me fine tune some of my ideas and as soon as I could picture some aspects of my new world in my head, my imagination helped to fill in the gaps.
I was conscious of not creating a world so magnificent and so full of amazing creatures that it would distract the reader, as it was the protagonist’s journey which was intended to hold their attention. This meant that at the same time as being imaginative I also had to be careful not to overdo things.
The Characters
When it came to creating the characters, the ideas came from everywhere. From people I know, people I’ve seen, perhaps in the media, and even people I walked past in the street. It could just be something someone said or a conversation I’d heard somewhere which could start the process of moulding a character. As I have a passion for drawing faces, I do already have a habit of looking at people, both in real life and in photographs. (a little weird, perhaps) Facial features and expressions, and the way they change with every thought fascinate me, so when I created the characters, it was like an extension of that process.
It was particularly important to me that Benedict and Jess felt real and were relatable characters for children, so for them I looked to my children for inspiration. Although most of them are all grown up, and are nothing like the characters as a whole, I could draw on some elements of their younger personalities which were a little similar. A wonderful underlying aspect of all children though is that everything to them is very important and whatever they do, they do with energy and purpose. I think that’s why writing a book for children, about children is so enjoyable.
And then of course, the Arborels; as they lived in a giant tree called Terrumbulus, I wanted them to have features of trees. I also wanted them to be appealing, but because of their size I didn't want them to resemble children. After many sketches I finally settled on some curious characters which I hoped didn't just look like humans covered in bark, but like naturally occurring creatures.
First Draft
So then, armed with a setting, and a vague outline of some characters, I was ready to write and the first draft of Benedict Bagshaw and the Arborels was about to come into fruition. I’m not a pantser and I’m not a planner; I’m somewhere between the two. I write as much as I can before I get to the point where there are too many unknown facts, and too many characters without any names.
When there are too many blanks I get distracted, and the words no longer flow and that is when I know I have to stop and plan. Here's a list of things I always do to overcome writers block.
I won’t necessarily map out the whole story, but I will flesh out some characters, give them a brief backstory, and research everything which I don’t know enough about.
An example of this in Benedict Bagshaw and the Arborels was when I realised that I didn’t actually know much about portals. So, naturally, researching portals was the next box which had to be ticked.
With portals done, I could pick up where I left off, read over what I’d already written and continue. At that point, I didn’t write the ending, but I didn’t stop until I’d done all
that I could with the rest of the story.
As with all my writing, once I have a fairly meaty first draft, I take a step back and think. I have to ask myself if there actually is a story there, are there enough relatable characters? Is there actually a problem to be solved? I will do several drafts before I even think about editing and hopefully by that time I have a finished manuscript I am happy with. I find that if the characters feel as if they have literally come to life then I have done the best that I can.
Although editing comes later, during that process, I still can’t stop myself from giving the plot and the characters a final polish, meaning that the story might even change slightly again. For me, it’s all part of the process, and I will go backwards and forwards until I feel I’m done.
Then finally when I’ve finished, I leave the manuscript to sit for a few weeks and then reread it as a reader. That’s when the final last corrections are made, and the story is ready.
Benedict Bagshaw and the Arborels was actually finished some time ago, but it wasn’t until recently that I took the plunge and self-published it on Amazon. That has been an experience in itself and perhaps one to share in the near future.
Thank you for reading and if you would like to purchase the book from Amazon in either paperback or kindle, please click on the link below.