Why I Write
Often, I am asked what inspired me to write my novel and dedicate myself to my fantasy series, The Mirror of Shadows. I will often answer that nature is my inspiration, which is true, I have a great love of natural history which almost took me to studying Marine Biology in university. Deeper than that, I have an innate need to write, to articulate words and weave them into a story, follow and explore the worlds that would otherwise only have existed in the depths of my mind. and share them with others.
I've always written stories, its something we all do from a young age after all, but that's not the reason.
Those who have read A Retreating Tide will have noticed, nature is the forefront of the setting in the story. The characters, Alicia, Wulfric, Cassandra and Nathan, spend much of their journey among it, from the depths of the forest to open moorland. Nathan in fact, probably becomes the closest to it, having spent a year travelling alone before meeting the sprites, Passer and Lamprey. He sought the comfort that nature gave.
Also in the novel and in those to follow, there are people who call themselves the Farignites, who are spirits of the land and forest, intimate to the very fabric of nature themselves and blessed by it. They take it as their duty to protect and serve it, to ensure a balance between man and nature.
So where might this have come from? Why did I write nature so prominently into the series? From a young child I always outside exploring, trying (and failing) to climb the biggest oak tree I found, I remember finding the spicy woody smell of the sticky sap of a ceder tree and being enthralled by its scent on a holiday in Devon before the age of ten, the smell of it still makes me smile to this day. It must have ingrained itself into me then; natures wild spirit. When I wasn't outside I read, prominently Nature's Child by John Lister Kaye was a book I loved. Perhaps it was the journey of another child discovering nature or the beautiful writing or both.
I've always found a type of magic in nature, from its beauty to dazzling wonder, perhaps in those crevices of ancient trees, other creatures exist out of sight, perhaps there really are wood sprites among us in the trees...
In our modern day we have to face the terrible fact that we, collectively are losing our connection to nature, with the threat of instant access to entertainment over the internet, to video games, to our spreading concrete jungle, shutting out nature's natural beauty and destroying it. We are losing more than our connection too, but flora and fauna, that have been around for perhaps longer than we in our merciless spread.
Through ancient standing stones and beyond the pale blue light glowing over the doorway, there is another world. The Eárie in my novels is a place that has never seen the industrial revolution, the version of Britain there is fragmented and torn. The world here has had a Celtic revival. In the past people relied on nature for their survival, to nurture crops and provide for them, even at times their enemy, but it was also the source of inspiration of their faith and art.
I wanted to draw parallels with this world and the Eárie, I wanted to explore a world where nature is lived within and not shunned. The ways of the old of course are not the ways to live our lives by today, we cannot and do not need to hunt for our food nor make sacrifices of people to gods etc. but it is inspirational to me to explore these old lives and ancient connections to nature, a world within it and not observing it.
The Shadows, in A Retreating Tide, and its sequels (book two isn't far off completion!) is an entity which is parasitic and glutenous in form, existing from the woes and negativity of the world. They see it as their right to possess and control the living in all forms; they are madness, despair, hatred and pain. They cannot always be seen, but are always felt, softly they prey upon the mind of their victim, removing hope, whispering seductive words of hatred, leading a person down a dark path.
From my own life experiences I have witnessed the shadows' influence. I have seen a person sink into madness, another change through bitterness, and seen the consequences of hatred onto others...
These experiences and more have served to form the Shadows in the novels. Through writing I hope to show others what I have seen and hope that others can be helped by it.
Many things have influenced the writing of my novels, soon I hope to have my next book released and the third to complete the trilogy. My experiences with nature have formed a strong part of my writing, as my own experiences with life and my interests in history.
If it were not for these, perhaps I would never have been a writer and author. Something which gives me huge pride in myself, I hope that anyone reading this, or those who have read my novels are helped by it, as they have helped me by writing it, to make sense of the world and explore the wonder of the natural world.
If you wish to read A Retreating Tide, please click the interactive book below, where you can read the first chapter for free!
You can see my book trailer here!
