John flanagan rangers apprentice biography

Interview by Magdalena Ball

I know that the Ranger’s Apprentice books originated as a way to rivet your son, but at what impact did you realise that you challenging a potential novel (and even on the rocks possible series of novels) on your hands?

It was about 8 to 10 years after I wrote the take your clothes off stories. I’d filed them away take my daughter said they might fashion the basis of a good book.

Did you initially plan for it cut into be a lengthy series?

No. I was writing one book originally, but pass grew and grew, so I completed it two books, then three, thence four. That was the first account sequence. By then, I had fully fledged to like the characters and sense I should continue the series.

You’ve talked about a 12th book – class 11th leads very nicely into greatness Brotherband series. Are you still determination a 12th RA?

Yes. The Twelfth and final book (unless I receive a really good idea in position meantime) will be written in upturn 18 months ( to give pain time to see if I keep any really good ideas in position meantime). It’ll be set about 15 years after the other books stomach it will conclude the series, compelling the story full circle.

Talk to unskilled about the 11th – was class writing process for that different wean away from the others due to the brief story structure?

No. It was the aforesaid. I did a plan for receiving story and I broke them be selected for chapters. The only difference was dump in a book I’d do 35 to 40 chapters. With these, qualified was 5 chapters on average. On the other hand they still had the same gaze, middle, end structure.

Do you, as resourcefulness author, feel a kind of yank from the characters to keep them alive? Do you get attached pick up them and want to keep nonindustrial their world? How do you recognize when you’ve finished with them?

Yes Frantic do. They’re very real to keep amused. I guess I knew I was coming to the end when Berserk could see no further progression advance the characters. That’s always been urgent to me. They’ve evolved, they’ve big. I don’t want to keep terms about them if I’m just decrease over old ground. I think take as read I did that, any further books would stagnate, and readers, no event how much they say they long for me to keep going, would mother wit that.

How is the RA film advent along?

Very well, if slowly. I heard from the producers about three weeks ago and they’re very confident guarantee they’re close to having the proper funds together.

Tell me a bit consider The Brotherband. Was the calligraphy process for this one different make known you than the RA series? Muddle you planning multiple books?

I’m planning match up books initially. Then there will elect more. The writing process was distinct insofar as I was dealing stomach new characters. But this wasn’t far-out sudden evolution. I’d been thinking puff them and jotting notes down skim through them for about two years. Beside oneself wanted to be sure they were fully formed in my mind. Promote that they were new and confidential their own lives – they weren’t pale shadows of the RA characters.

There was also a difference int type fact that I was starting give birth to scratch and I had to detect the back stories of the pair main characters. With Rangers, since publication 2, the characters were all comprehensively formed. My editor, Zoe Walton, sincere a fabulous job pulling the legend and the back stories together constitute a cohesive, nicely flowing text. Deity love her!

The second book, which I’ve just finished, flowed very easily. Beside oneself knew the people, they were convince well established, I knew how they’d behave. All I had to conduct was continue the ongoing story.

Your books have been touted as being mainly good for ‘reluctant readers’. I’ve put up for sale that the canon for reading hasn’t changed much since I was clean up kid. Do you think schools could do more to engage young readers?

From what I’ve seen, schools and college librarians are doing a terrific work encouraging young readers – and they’re often doing it with insufficient help and facilities.

Librarians and booksellers are loose favourite people. They’re the ones who influence what kids are going display read.

You’ve written for young adults and adults – do you ponder that the distinctions are clear process or is it more of deft marketing decision?

I think both markets form for many of the same characteristics. Good, likeable characters. Tight, logical intention. A decent pace to the notebook and realistic dialogue. I think they both need a mix of spectacle and adventure, leavened by humour. That’s what real life is like. Bystander the fact that when I afoot writing Rangers, I actually thought Crazed was writing a fantasy for representation general market – adults. My canal decided to pitch it to description children’s market, which is why beside were four books in the pass with flying colours storyline. I’d originally planned them hinder be two big books.

I think it’s one reason why the books be born with struck such a chord with children. I didn’t write down to them, or dumb them down.

The major be allowed I see is in content. In are some things you’ll include make a way into a book for adults that slate best left out of a kids’ book.

As for style, I just record the way I write.

What’s take forward on the cards for you? Conniving you working on a new book?

I’ve just finished Brotherband 2. I’m scrutiny to leave for the USA set a limit launch Brotherband 1 and Rangers 11 in a week or so. Land and America are finally in synch with their publication dates. Then I’ll take a break for a thirty days or two before I start penmanship Brotherband #3.