Today I’d like to welcome Rachel Ward, author of the Numbers series, The Drowning and her brand new novel, Water Born, back to the blog! To celebrate the release of Water Born and lots of other fantastic novels releasing on August 7th, Rachel has written me a really interesting post on the pull of jumping a generation when she writes sequels. Read on!
Generations
of Sequels
I
like to write sequels that jump a generation. Two of my sequels have fifteen or
sixteen years between them and their predecessors - Numbers and The Chaos, and
now The Drowning and Water Born.
With
The Chaos I wanted to write about someone with a different personality to Jem
having the same gift. Numbers is a fatalistic book, and for the sequel I wanted
to show someone kicking against the numbers, trying to change them. Jem passing
her gift to the next generation also gave a satisfying twist to the very end of
the book.
I
originally envisaged The Drowning as a stand-alone book. However, halfway
through writing it, I had a strong idea for a companion book. The Drowning is a
dark, rainy, autumnal book for the most part. I had a vision of a long, hot
summer sort of book, a summer in which water is in short supply. Then I
realised I wanted to know what happened to Carl and Neisha. Carl had a very
tough start in life – what happens to a boy like that when he ‘grows up’? What
kind of man is he? What kind of dad? Neisha had a strict but supportive
upbringing, but suffered when her mum died and felt alienated in the town that
she moved to with her dad. What sort of mum would she be?
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Looking
back, I could not possibly have predicted the story of my life. It’s been a
million times better than I could have hoped for, but there have also been
tough times which I wouldn’t have written into my script if I’d had the choice.
There are some decisions which affect the course your life will take. Sometimes
you have to take what life flings at you. But in my books, I get a chance to
mould my characters’ lives and I don’t have to do it in real time. I turn the
page, jump ahead and imagine their futures.
I
enjoyed revisiting Carl and Neisha (and Carl’s mum, Kerry) in Water Born. And I
enjoyed writing about their daughter, Nic. She’s a determined, competitive
girl, a little different from anyone I’ve written about before. I wonder how
she’ll end up…
Thank
you so much, Rachel!
Be
sure to grab a copy of Water Born on
August 7th and enjoy the rest of the ‘Countdown to August 7th’
blog tour!
Sophie
I would love it if Rachel could make just one more numbers book. I am a fast reader and if I enjoy a book I can get through it within the day. I really enjoyed the number triloligy but would love just one more in the series . Your books engage the reader until the verry end with dark passageways of twists and turns . Well done Rachel
ReplyDeleteI would love it if Rachel could make just one more numbers book. I am a fast reader and if I enjoy a book I can get through it within the day. I really enjoyed the number triloligy but would love just one more in the series . Your books engage the reader until the verry end with dark passageways of twists and turns . Well done Rachel
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