Long-time readers may recall the story I sometimes tell about how I got the idea for The Dark Griffin. But for those who never heard it, or who’ve forgotten, here is is again:
Some years ago I went on a holiday to Tasmania – a place I’d always wanted to go. It’s a beautiful part of Australia, and is said to contain the only cold weather rainforests in the world. During the trip I had started thinking that I would like to write a book about griffins, but as most of us know, wanting to write something isn’t enough. A book needs that moment of inspiration, and mine came a few days later when we climbed Cradle Mountain. It’s a beautiful place in a national park, where we also saw a place called Snake Hill (it’s only briefly mentioned in the book, but I named Snake Hill as the site of Idun Village, where Arenadd was born).
I reached the top of Cradle Mountain alone – I can never stick with the group while walking. At the top I sat down to rest and enjoy the view, and as I looked out over the plains I saw this.
Later on I found out that it’s a rock formation called Barn Bluff, but at the time I had no idea what it was. I looked at that great stump of stone and suddenly thought “what if someone built a city on it? Who would do that? Well… people who could fly, of course…”
And that was more or less that: Eagleholm had been born.
The next day I woke up in agonising pain, because climbing mountains tends to do that to you. Since I could barely walk, I decided to stay behind in the cabin rather than go on another outing. Once I was alone I opened the back of the notebook I’d brought along, and I started writing The Dark Griffin right then and there.
And there you go. That’s how it started. From little things, big things grow.
Speaking of which, I am now 173 pages into book fourteen. I estimate that another couple of writing sessions should be enough to finish it off. But first I need to take some time to think about what I’m going to write. I may not write plans, but I do plan in my head. The ideas will come when they’re ready; they generally do.
~KJT, in a thoughtful mood and enjoying the warmer weather.
