On this new episode Paul and Stevyn are joined, all the way from New Zealand by Elizabeth Knox, and all the way from Cornwall by Stephanie Bretherton – two authors who have created realistic, alternative worlds for their characters to inhabit.
Elizabeth’s latest book The Absolute Book is the story of two sisters. When one is killed and the perpetrator seems to get away with it, the other enters into an ancient and sinister world of myth and legend in search of revenge. It’s an electrifying contemporary fantasy, which features talking ravens, giant crocodiles and the search for the all-important titular volume, The Absolute Book.
Stephanie’s novel Bone Lines is the story of two women, separated by millennia. Alternating between ancient and modern timelines, the story unfolds through the experiences of a prehistoric shaman, the sole surviving adult of her tribe who is braving a hazardous journey of migration, and a dedicated scientist living a comfortable if troubled existence in London, who is on her own mission of discovery as she studies the shaman’s bones.
We discuss how you do your research and how addictive and immersive it can be (and, more importantly, when to stop and get writing!).
We also mention, in passing, the extraordinary worlds built by people like J R R Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Frank Herbert, George R R Martin, Ursula le Guin and many more.
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We’d like a Word is a (nearly) award-winning podcast about writing, writers and readers hosted by authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan and served up in three easily digestible 20 minute chunks per episode.
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