Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

When I write, I use places I have visited, or know well, for the setting of my narratives. While others are purely conjured up in my imagination.

For example, for my YA adventure novella, Creature Hunt on Planet Toaria, the planet Toaria is completely my creation, with its two moons, the strange trees, lit pathways and robotic companions. However, the initial idea came from a large mullein plant, I spotted on a road trip many years ago. As you can see below.

This tall plant morphed into a creature invading the planet giving my four youthful character’s the adventure of tracking it down. The robotic companions are similar to pill bugs, but obviously made of a metal. These little creatures are a favourite to play with.

In my other YA novella, Clickety Click, I used a mixture of English countryside and Canadian mountains as the landscape for my metamorphosing heroine, Alice.

You have probably guessed my children’s chapter book, Ockleberries to the Rescue is set in an English forest. I was lucky enough to grow up in the countryside with a forestry, a large common and country lanes to play in. Fairies, elves, gnomes and the like are a part of my heritage, so it was easy to write about my magical woodland sprites, Crispin and Tansy and the forest animals friends.