I am a primary school teacher. I spend all day with children aged 7 to 11. I love reading to them, reading their stories, and exploring their imaginations. I also love inspiring them to read and write and push themselves to achieve what they think will be impossible.
Once upon a time, I thought that writing a novel would be impossible. But I beat that big bad wolf and have managed to write three books for adults. I wrote them for myself as a reader, the sort of thing I enjoy, after all, there must be someone else in the world who likes the same things I do. Surprisingly, there are. People read my books, at least that is what Amazon analytics tells me. Perhaps more would read them if I did any work on my sales but I have taken a break from that for a while.
I’m no longer worried about how many books I sell. But I am grateful that even without my effort, they do.
Over the last few months I have been much more interested in my pupils and their needs. Occasionally a child in the school will ask me, “Mr Phillips, have you written a book?”
“Yes, I have.” I reply. “I have written a few.”
Inevitably the next question from that curious child is, “Can I read it?”
Then there is the awkward silence as I try to decide. Should a child at primary school read about slavery, body shame, implied rape, gladiator fights with no hold-barred violence and plenty of blood and guts?
My books were written for adults, not children. The simple answer to their question is, “No. Perhaps when you are a bit older.” (like at least 13)
Some of my students have read and enjoyed my books. For most of them, they are too long and wordy and they don’t understand everything. They always complain to me about the one swear word!
Only one cure for this. Write a children’s book.
I tried a few ideas out. Even read some first chapters to my class. I got nowhere, though my captive audience always appreciated my stories.
The summer holidays were coming. I could spend the best part of six weeks writing. I could get a move on with finishing Tales from the Slaughtered Lamb 2… or I could write book 3 of The Beast… or…
I could write a children’s book!
I bought a new Chromebook so that I could write if I went on holiday or in the garden. I sketched out a couple of rough plans for stories.
I was stuck. I didn’t know what to write. I didn’t know how to write for an audience other than myself. I had already failed.
But then… My favourite character from ‘The Beast’ popped up. He would be a cool person to write about. He lives in a world with magic and wars. He would have a past that would be worth writing about. How did he become a King’s Messenger and get to ride on the back of a giant bat delivering important messages all over the world?
I wrote the story. I did not finish it sitting in the sun in my garden drinking ice-cold rum and coke, but I tried. I did not manage to finish it sitting in a summerhouse in Lochinver, looking out over a beautiful landscape of mountains and the sea with red deer grazing less than 10 metres away. I did get lots of inspiration and I did write.
Then school happened and writing slowed, but it only took a term to finish.
I wrote about a boy whose parents had died. He faced the uncertainty of living on the streets of the largest city in the Kingdom. Forced to find work where he could. A boy who risked stealing food and the dangers of street bullies. One day that boy is saved from a beating by a Messenger, a man who was protected by the King’s laws so that he could deliver messages around the city. Inspired by this, the boy decides to take the trials to become a Messenger. His politeness, confidence and ingenuity help him to pass the tests and he is sent to the Messenger training camp where he meets other novice messengers as they train and take lessons. Rumours of trouble between the Kingdom and Mirror City reach the camp, will there be a war and how will it affect their lives?
Wizards, magic, fantastical creatures, adventure, spies, friendship and even a hint of romance pushed into the story.
Now that I have finished writing it before I start to tidy up and edit it, I am left wondering if I have pitched it right for my audience. I enjoyed writing it, my inner Mr Phillips of 10 years old enjoyed the story. My Beta readers enjoyed the first half and gave great feedback.
I dripped into the story pieces of my own life at boarding school and mixed it with a little Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Layered in a tiny amount of my own and my son’s experiences of Cubs and Scouts. A few little pieces of life at school squeezed onto the bowl along with a smattering of Lyra and Pantaliamon and it all began to rise.
I’ll leave it to cook for a while and hopefully soon it will be baked and ready for my younger readers to munch on with delight.
Until then, I have some unfinished business with vampires and ghosts troubling a small, peaceful village in the Lake District, not to forget a Kingdom to save and a class to inspire.
Steven M Phillips Author 