What Inspired You to Write Here and Back Again?
That’s an easy answer: C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl. When I was young, I got into trouble a lot at school. It wasn’t that I was a bad kid, I just had a hard time sitting still. I got bored very easily, and the things that a kid finds to get him or herself un-bored…are not always acceptable to teachers. So, I spent a lot of time in the library. In the library, there were loads of interesting books to keep me from getting bored (and keep me out of trouble).
When I used to read about Charlie Bucket’s golden ticket, or Sophie’s witching hour “abduction” by the Big Friendly Giant, I couldn’t help but fantasize about that sort of thing happening to me. But, nothing stirred up those kinds of thoughts like the Chronicles of Narnia. I couldn’t get enough of the idea that one could travel so easily from the most ordinary places to lands of great adventure and marvelous wonder. I wanted so badly to find a door to Narnia, that I often wondered if I could make it happen by believing hard enough. It never worked, I’m sorry to say (although, I suppose I might not be allowed to tell you if it had). So, writing stories about kids finding magical doors is (probably) the closest I’ve gotten to visiting Narnia myself.
How did you come up with your characters?
There used to be a TV show from Ireland called “Ballykissangel.” One of the characters, Niamh, was the person I kept picturing when I wrote about Sister Frances. Frances was not actually based on Niamh at all, but there was a loose connection in my mind, for some reason.
Mr. Martin MacArthur is a lot like me, I think. He never made it to Narnia either (unless we’ve both been sworn to secrecy), but I am a bit envious of the adventure he did find throughout his life. I am too old to travel to Narnia now (they have certain rules about that), but it would be nice to have such a fantastic journey.
The cartoon and books called “Charlie and Lola” remind me of David and Alice. The way actor Ricky Gervais speaks reminds me of Brent. Lana and Audrey happen to share names with two of the most memorable movie stars of the 1950’s. But, all this is pure coincidence. The characters are who they are because that’s who they are. Sure, some things have to be changed here and there (for various reasons), and I might forget a detail or two along the way, but I write true stories…for the most part.
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