PG Bell
About Author
PG Bell grew up in south Wales, where he says he was 'raised on a diet of Greek mythology, ghost stories and Doctor Who'. The jobs he has had over the years range from lifeguard to a Disney roller coaster operator, but all he has ever really wanted to do is write stories for a living. And now he does!
He still lives in Wales, with his wife and two children.
Image copyright: Tiffany Mumford
Author link
Interview
The Great Brain Robbery (Usborne Books)
October 2019
In THE TRAIN TO IMPOSSIBLE PLACES, young adventurer Suzy discovers a train running through the middle of her house...
During a whirlwind adventure, Suzy befriends the crew of the train and helps to save the Impossible Places. Now, in THE GREAT BRAIN ROBBERY, she is unexpectedly called on once again to help solve the mysterious earthquakes that threaten the whole of Trollville. Put on your hardhats as adventure unfolds!
We asked author PG BELL to tell us more about THE GREAT BRAIN ROBBERY:
1. Can you tell us when you first had the idea for a postage train that delivers packages to impossible places?
The whole thing came about because my eldest son, who was about four years old at the time, asked me for "a brand new bedtime story that no one's ever heard before". So in a bit of a rush, I threw together some ingredients I thought he might like - he was going through a train phase, so it absolutely had to be a story about a train. And we both enjoyed stories about exploring strange new worlds, like The Magic Faraway Tree, so I decided this train had to be bound for some strange and wonderful destinations. And what better excuse to visit them all than delivering the post? It's a lovely, ordinary, everyday thing to do, in the midst of all the magical chaos.
2. If you could have your own magical Express train, what would it look like and where would it take you?
I think the Impossible Postal Express is already my ideal train - I deliberately made it as much fun as I could. That's why it's gigantic, with a collection of weird and wonderful carriages in tow, but it's also quite homely and comfortable to ride on. The driver's cab is basically a comfy living room.
As for destinations, I'd love to explore our own world before heading off to visit others. There are so many countries I want to visit! India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, China... I'd never be bored.
3. In your first book, The Train to Impossible Places, Suzy discovers that the Impossible Places exist and has her first adventure there. How long did it take you to create this world? What are its main rules?
It took me six nights to tell my son the original bedtime story, but then it sat and stewed in the back of my mind for almost a year before I finally wrote it down.
When I did, I discovered that it had grown quite a bit. The world building rules vary from one Impossible Place to another, so the only constant is the train itself.
The only guideline I gave myself is that the normal laws of physics always apply right up until they become an inconvenience. That's when the magic takes over.
4. Suzy is good at science and physics - in the Impossible Places, this becomes Fuzzics, which has slightly different rules. Did you use any real science when creating the Impossible Places?
Newton's laws of motion play quite an important part in the action at one point, so I had to dig up some GCSE revision notes online to refresh my memory. Thank goodness for BBC Bitesize!
5. What was it like coming back to these characters and the Impossible Places for a second adventure, The Great Brain Robbery?
It was very exciting! One of the benefits of writing an ongoing series is that you start each new adventure with your characters already in place. All you've got to do is shove them out the door and into their next new adventure.
It was also quite daunting, though, because in a near-infinite fantasy world in which almost anything is possible, where do you start? It took me quite a while to pin the story down, but my editors (Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker at Usborne, and Anna Poon at MacMillan US) were brilliant, and instrumental in helping me find my way. I'm very happy with the result.
6. The first book focuses on the White Tower and Obsidian Tower; in the second book we visit Trollville. What do you love most about Trollville?
It's an extension of the trolls' personality. It's just as surprising and anarchic and magical and impractical as they are, but it's also a very welcoming and exciting place to be.
And, like any city, it has many layers and lots of curious nooks and crannies, so we get to see all sorts of places we didn't have chance to visit last time.
7. And who is your favourite Troll character?
A: I'll always have a soft spot for Fletch because he just loves being grumpy, but my favourite has to be Wilmot. He's the character I'd most like to spend time with - he's brave and loyal and idealistic and hopelessly out of his depth half the time. But most of all he's kind.
8. It turns out that trolls are great at DIY - if you could bring one home, what would you ask it (nicely) to build for you?
[Winces] I'm not sure I'd trust troll DIY to behave quite as advertised. Whatever they built would certainly be entertaining, but possibly also mildly hazardous.
I'd keep them away from the electrics and the plumbing. Maybe something simple like magical wallpaper that can change its colour and patterns on command.
9. Can you give us a sneaky glimpse into where the Express train will take us for book three?
I can't say too much, but we'll revisit some friends from the first book who are absent in The Great Brain Robbery. And Suzy's going to spend a lot of her time underwater.
10. You have done lots of different jobs - what has been your favourite (apart from writing), and what brought you into writing?
My favourite pre-author job was definitely operating roller coasters at Disneyland Paris. It's the closest I'll ever get to running away to join the circus.
The job itself was pretty menial, but I worked with wonderful people from all across Europe and the wider world, I got to practice my French and Spanish (I'm a lapsed languages graduate) and the atmosphere was every bit as exciting as you would think.
As for the writing, it's something I've always done. Since I was eight or nine, I've always wanted to write stories for a living, and I've squeezed it into every spare minute of my day. I've written short stories, novels, TV scripts, radio plays, stage plays... none of them got anywhere, but they were all great practice.
Then, completely unexpectedly, The Train To Impossible Places ended up in the hands of the right people at the right time, and it all suddenly took off. No one was more surprised than me!
11. Your plots work a little like a puzzle with lots of small pieces being put into place before you see the bigger picture. How much plotting in advance do you do?
That's very kind of you to say so. I always write a basic outline before I start writing. It's not particularly detailed but gives me the shape of the whole thing, and allows me to pinpoint certain key bits of plot that I have to reach.
That means I always know which general direction the story's heading, but have the freedom to improvise along the way. Some of the best bits of my books are things to took me totally by surprise!
12. Can you tell us a little about what children can expect to see during your author events? Do you visit many schools?
I've been lucky enough to visit lots of schools this year, and it's become one of my favourite parts of the job. So few writers get to meet their readers face to face, and I'm lucky enough to speak to halls full of them!
My events are very interactive, and I always start by asking the children in the audience to name their favourite bedtime stories. Then we discuss why those stories are so important, and what they can mean to us as we grow older.
I take them on a whistle-stop tour of my books, including a detour into the different kinds of trolls to be found throughout literature and film. Then I put them on the spot in the same way my son did when he asked me for a new story, and I ask them to give me the ingredients for a new impossible train adventure.
The event is always a lot of fun, and if I've done my job then the children all leave with their heads full of ideas, and the understanding that they really can tell their own stories.
13. Any other books you've read recently that you could recommend to our members?
Loads! Storm Hound by Claire Fayers is a funny, smart and warm-hearted fantasy set in Wales, and both my sons loved it.
The Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle is the second instalment of her Storm Keeper's trilogy and even better than the first.
And Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani is a fantasy-tinged graphic novel about an American teenager called Priyanka, trying to uncover the secrets of her mother's upbringing in India.
14. If you could create your own writing shed, where would it be and what would it look like?
I'd like somewhere quiet and secluded, maybe in the woods, and close to a stream. Somewhere simple but homely, with no access to the internet and lots of access to coffee. Maybe an old converted railway carriage would be appropriate.
Image copyright: Tiffany Mumford
Delivery to the Lost City
The Great Brain Robbery
The Train to Impossible Places
