JR Wallis
About Author
JR Wallis is a children's author who also writes YA fiction as Rupert Wallis. He teaches on the MSt in Creative Writing at the Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge University.
Interview
THE BLACK AMULET (BADLANDS 2)
SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S BOOKS
SEPTEMBER 2018
Enter the world of the Badlands, a hidden world where monsters lurk and where Badlanders and their magic are all that stands between ordinary people, and these nightmare creatures.
THE BLACK AMULET, the follow-up to THE BOY WITH ONE NAME, takes us back to the Badlands where Jones is still trying - and failing - to be ordinary; where Ruby is trying out her magic - but it's not working; and where Thomas Gabriel is losing his magic.
Only one thing can help them all, the Black Amulet, but in seeking it, they could lose everything.
We asked author JR WALLIS to tell us more about THE BLACK AMULET.
Q: What took you into writing novels and why, with The Badlands series, fantasy? Was that what you enjoyed reading as a child?
A: I think storytelling is very vocational and some people have the need to process the world around them by looking at it through their imaginations. I have always had this urge to write. All my books so far - YA and MG - have had a sense of the supernatural and the fantastical about them and I'm not entirely sure why. It might be because I like to put a twist on everything that I see in the world around me.
The books I read as a child probably had some influence too. I did read Tolkien and also a lot of those interactive books where you chose your own adventure by making a decision and turning to the relevant page. I played Dungeons and Dragons too!
Q: Do you do other work as well as writing for YA and children?
A: Yes, I teach creative writing on the MSt programme at the Institute of Continuing Education at Cambridge University and I also mentor students at the Faber Academy.
Q: Was there something that specifically inspired the idea for the Badlands?
A: The seed for the idea came about when I was living in a tent some years ago and trying to save up some money. I used to lie awake at night imagining what I would do if there were really monsters prowling around outside the tent. My imagination really took off as I listened to the strange noises and saw strange silhouettes flickering across the canvas walls of the tent. I'm sure it was nothing, but you never know...
Q: How did you create the rules for the Badlands and what the Badlanders can and can't do? And that their magic wasn't a 'get out clause' for all situations?
A: I think with any fantasy idea you're always refining the world and its rules as you write more books so the Badlands is still evolving. Initially, though, I started by looking at the real world and tweaking the things around us that we take for granted to see where it took me. I wanted to make Badlanders seem real and feasible so I grounded the Badlander Order in history; it came into being after the arrival of Anglo-Saxons in Great Britain during the 5th century.
The use of magic is an interesting one. It can't be a 'get out clause' otherwise there wouldn't be an interesting plot. I've made sure the main characters in the books all have their different issues with magic and magical items to make the Badlands a difficult place for them so the drama isn't drained out of the story.
Q: Are the creatures you write about in the Badlands all based on other myths and legends, or have you made some up? Do you have any favourites?
A: Many of the different creatures encountered in the Badlands are based on traditional myths and legends which are then filtered through my imagination to give them unique traits that make them part of the Badlander world, and my stories.
I have a soft spot for all the weird and wonderful monsters that come alive in my mind so it's difficult to choose a favourite but I do rather like Gobblings (vicious and sharp toothed) and Burrowing Trolls (they pop up out of the ground and grab you!) in The Black Amulet.
Q: What was it like to return to the Badlands for book two, The Black Amulet, and how many Badlands books are you planning?
A: It felt very rewarding and a real privilege to be able to write a second book in the series. It meant I could spend more time with the characters and deepen my understanding of them as well as explore the world further. The hard part is keeping track of everything as the series expands and ensuring it all makes sense with what has come before. At the moment I'm writing a third book so that's keeping me busy!
Q: The first Badlands book, The Boy with One Name, is focused on Jones and his experiences, the second, The Black Amulet, on Ruby. Why did you decide to focus on different characters for each book?
A: It was a very natural process for me because when I think about writing a book I usually have a character in mind to start with whose story it is. Characters create plots and Jones was the key person who had come to mind when I started dreaming up the first book. The Boy With One Name was very much his story. But for The Black Amulet, Ruby was the character who came to the fore with so many challenges ahead of her, created out her experiences in the first book.
Q: In The Black Amulet, Ruby challenges the 'all male' dominance and rules for Badlanders?
A: I just go where the story is and Ruby, having arrived in the male dominated Badlander world, has no option but to try and make her mark to succeed at becoming the person she wants to be. It's either that or return to the ordinary world and she certainly doesn't want that. So, the story seemed to lend itself to seeing if she could achieve her goal. I think one reason for creating a very male-dominated Badlander world is that I went to an all boys school so perhaps I'm mining that experience now for my writing.
Q: You also explore questions around trust and friendship in The Black Amulet through the somewhat unreliable character, Thomas Gabriel. Did you enjoy creating him?
A: Yes, I did enjoy creating Thomas Gabriel and he has grown on me as I've learnt more about him. He's interesting because he's a conflicted character, driven by certain desires and ambitions yet acutely aware of his failings too. He's not the standard 'bad' character in the book. I try hard in my stories to make all the characters as 'rounded' as I can, with emotional depth to make them feel real and resonate with the reader.
Q: In the series you explore questions around identity, friendship and trust through the experiences of the three friends, Jones, Ruby and Thomas Gabriel. Other than a great adventure, what would you like your readers to take away from the books?
A: Different readers will bring their own experience to the series as they read the books and therefore develop their own unique and meaningful take on the characters and the stories. That's the beauty of books, they make you think about your own life when you read them.
I think one thing I'd like readers to get from the Badlands series is to do with the craft of storytelling I.e. that interesting characters create interesting stories. I'd also like to think that the books are for anyone of any age to read.
Q: Can you tell us a little about what we can expect in book three, and who will be the focus?
A: That's a little under wraps for now but I can tell you that Thomas Gabriel will have a key role to play. One nugget for the creation of the book is the idea that sometimes, in extreme cases, Badlanders are justified in teaming up with a monster to catch an even more dangerous monster.
Q: How would you fare as a Badlander? What would you want your signature skill to be?
A: I'd fare pretty well, I think. Being a writer I'm a good observer of the world around me so I'd be good at looking out for suspicious things which is key to being a successful Badlander, namely one who survives!
If I was a Badlander then I think I'd like to be one who practises the skill of befriending and training certain monsters to be able to work with them. It's an art that's frowned on by the Order but I think it could be very useful in certain situations and it's something I am looking at for Book Three.
Q: If you could bring one of your magical potions or spells out of the Badlands, which one would it be?
A: Hmm, good question! It's not a potion or spell as such but Slap Dust would be pretty useful. It's a dust that you sprinkle on your palm and when you slap your hands together it takes you wherever you want to go, instantly. Having such a busy life, taking the time out of travel would be very useful I think.
Q: Where and when do you write, and what are you writing now?
A: I have to write wherever and whenever I can because my life is rather busy with work and family. Sometimes, it means writing late at night or early in the morning. I like to set myself a word target every day to make sure I get some pages done. For me, writing becomes easier when I have a daily rhythm and a word count to aim for. I'm writing Book Three of the Badlands series at the moment and I'm working on a couple of other projects too.
Q: What's your favourite escape from writing?
A: To be honest, writing is my escape from the world so I don't begrudge doing it. It can be difficult and frustrating though and sometimes if I'm not enjoying it or it's proving hard, I have to step away from it.
When that happens I like to go walking or running or I'll lose myself in a TV programme or a book. Sometimes, I'll just go and do something mundane like the washing up or the ironing and my brain will start ticking over and process a bit of story I'm stuck on.
The Black Amulet
The Boy With One Name
