It's really interesting to hear that you're illustrating your writing. Blake did that too - he was one of the first to do it. I don't know if there's a book that explains how to do it - I know almost nothing about illustration, only writing! But I think it would be a great thing to do, as illustration always adds something to a story. So maybe it's worth asking an art teacher or artist about it? Phoenix is so much about love and about connections and about fitting into the great space of the world(s), that I am a little bereft at finishing it. It is - it is something. Ocr tesseract 5.0.0-alpha-20201231-10-g1236 Ocr_detected_lang en Ocr_detected_lang_conf 1.0000 Ocr_detected_script Latin Ocr_detected_script_conf 0.9712 Ocr_module_version 0.0.13 Ocr_parameters -l eng Old_pallet IA-WL-0000226 Openlibrary_edition There were some genius twists that kept me guessing at the ending. There’s no way I could have ever predicted the last chapters. They were heartbreaking, yet hopeful, and so beautiful . . . HIGHLY recommended for any sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, out there - and also anybody who wants a new favourite book. Books and Writers JNR Thank you so much for your wonderful message about Phoenix, and for reading it with your class! That book took me 7 years to write, but all the hard work feels worthwhile when I hear a response like that.

Lastly, all of the characters were extremely one-dimensional. I can't think of one character who had any depth to them. For example, Bixa, the female lead/love-interest was every bit the stereotypical "tough" female character oft used in middle-grade literature as of late. Her only defining characteristic is that she liked to "fight" and "beat people up". This gets tiring when mentioned for the infinite time in every scene. The romance between the two leads was forced into the narrative and felt unnecessary. Guardian children's fiction award shortlist 2014". Emily Drabble. The Guardian. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-21. The truth about Phoenix is that I was just trying to write a story I wanted to read myself. I've always loved space stories, from Star Wars onwards, and wanted to write a really great one for young readers. As for drafts - every writer is different. Some need more than others. But all of us do more than one. All you can do is keep working on it until it's the very best you can possibly make it; until it's exactly what you would most want to read yourself. And I think it will be worth it, because you have some brilliant ideas.But as well as the science of stars, I'm interested in their mythic dimension. They pose the biggest questions imaginable, making us consider our place in the universe, and what it means to be alive in it. We now know that the atoms in our bodies were created in the hearts of exploding stars: something that feels closer to ancient myth than astrophysics. That's one reason why Phoenix contains as much ancient mythology as cutting-edge science, and why I think it's as much 'mythic fiction' as 'science fiction'. You may not like it at all, of course! It's probably dated quite badly - it was written in 1960. But it started a wave of really interesting books with a mythical/magical/otherworldly element - not just his own, but also books by writers like Susan Cooper (The Dark Is Rising sequence) and Ursula Le Guin (The Earthsea books) - who I think you might also enjoy... they were certainly big influences on me!

Booktrust. "Harry Potter wins Blue Peter Book Awards 20th Anniversary prize". Booktrust . Retrieved 22 January 2021. So my message to your students is to think about what story they would most like to have, if they could have any story at all - and then to write those stories themselves! Here's a blog I made to help young people with the process - it covers everything from having ideas, to writing first drafts, to editing them. I hope they find it useful! It is so very definitely something; a text that dances with shadow and light and illustrations that pull and tease the words until something strange and alchemical happens to them. An exciting and involved space adventure which engages with big themes . . . Atmospheric illustrations are a bonus. Peters Books We understand you are very busy, however we would like to ask you some questions about Phoenix (if you have the time to respond).I'm already working on my next book, but I can't say anything about it, because my books always change a lot in the years it takes me to write them!

And Marjane turns around, one last time, just one last moment, to see her mother crying her heart out and being helped away .

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I write the stories that I most want to read myself! All writers are really just readers who take one more step, and write the stories they want to read. You can do this too - all writers are readers, and all readers can be writers. I wrote a bit about this in this blog post. I put everything I know and everything I love into Phoenix, because I believe the books we read when we're young are the most important ones of all. They shape the way we see the world, and they stay with us forever. Maybe that's why it takes me so long to write each book! As I say, Phoenix took seven years, and possibly a lifetime. It was worth it though, because in the end, it's a book I really want to read myself. The Guardian children's fiction prize longlist 2014 – in pictures". The Guardian. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-21. I wasn't really sure about this idea, but what about if the human leader goes down in a rogue assault by Axxa terrorists and humans retaliate by trying to kill the Axxa again. Thank you so much for your message! I'm really glad you enjoyed Varjak Paw - I hope you'll try my other books next next! Here are the answers to your questions: