Interview With Jack Croxall
Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of talking to the gorgeous Jack Croxall all about his writing and his YA series. Here's what we spoke about....
For those people out there who haven’t read Tethers (where have they been?!) can you tell us a bit about the series?
Of course! Tethers is a Victorian fantasy, steampunk-y, YA-y and adventure-y series set in rural England. It follows two teenagers, Karl and Esther, across three books as they become embroiled in a kind of conspiracy involving various otherworldly artefacts and a whole host of sinister characters. The first two books (Tethers and Unwoven) deal with themes of fate, grief and obsession.
Esther is one of the best YA characters around. She’s so awesome and can hold her own in a sword fight! What was your inspiration behind her character?
Aww, that’s such a lovely thing to say about my Esther! Personality-wise, she is loosely based on someone I know in real life (I couldn’t possibly say who!), but the sword fighting is totally her own thing. Right from when I first started scribbling away at Tethers, I always had a scene in mind of a young girl being taught how to fight on a beach, so she was always going to learn how to duel.
You chose to set these books in Victorian England which adds a lovely layer to them. Did you have to do a lot of research about the time period before you could begin writing?
I spent hours upon hours researching Victorian life and I must say it was fascinating, not a chore in the slightest! My favourite aspect was perhaps life on the waterways – a style of living that is non-existent in today’s society. Whole families would live in the single, cramped cabin of a narrowboat as they transported supplies up and down the waterways. The life was incredibly tough and children would work full days as soon as they could walk. When I decided to set Tethers in the past I wasn’t actually aware of how much work it would entail, but I really have learned an incredible amount and I think the novel is so much the better for it.
Do you have a strict writing routine?
No! I just try to get as much done as possible. I probably should try and sort more of a routine out though.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
The escapism. You just disappear off into your own world where you can do whatever you want, good or bad. It’s such an important part of my life now I could never give it up.
If you could live in a fictional world, which one would you choose and why?
The world from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Then I’d get my own daemon – awesome!
Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on at the moment?
Yep! Last year, I released a short story called X, it’s about a fifteen-year-old girl living through a kind of apocalypse. Thinking she is soon to die, she starts to write a journal, and that journal is the book. As I enjoyed writing X so much, I’ve decided to start working on full novel set in that same world. It takes place about a year after the events of X.
Quick-fire:
What is your…
favourite colour? Purple! Like my first car and my first book cover :P
favourite song? That’s too hard a question!
favourite book? His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.
favourite food? Chocolate!
favourite word? Chocolate!
favourite season? Spring probably, I despise winter.
favourite TV show? Walking Dead and Sherlock.
favourite author? Sharon Sant!
favourite animal? My gorgeous puppy-dog, Archie!
favourite day of the week? Easy, Saturday.
Huge thanks to Jack for taking the time out of his busy schedule to have a chat. You can buy his books on Amazon, just click on the pictures below!
Also, click on the picture of Jack and it'll take you to his website. You can also follow him on Twitter.
For those people out there who haven’t read Tethers (where have they been?!) can you tell us a bit about the series?
Of course! Tethers is a Victorian fantasy, steampunk-y, YA-y and adventure-y series set in rural England. It follows two teenagers, Karl and Esther, across three books as they become embroiled in a kind of conspiracy involving various otherworldly artefacts and a whole host of sinister characters. The first two books (Tethers and Unwoven) deal with themes of fate, grief and obsession.
Esther is one of the best YA characters around. She’s so awesome and can hold her own in a sword fight! What was your inspiration behind her character?
Aww, that’s such a lovely thing to say about my Esther! Personality-wise, she is loosely based on someone I know in real life (I couldn’t possibly say who!), but the sword fighting is totally her own thing. Right from when I first started scribbling away at Tethers, I always had a scene in mind of a young girl being taught how to fight on a beach, so she was always going to learn how to duel.
You chose to set these books in Victorian England which adds a lovely layer to them. Did you have to do a lot of research about the time period before you could begin writing?
I spent hours upon hours researching Victorian life and I must say it was fascinating, not a chore in the slightest! My favourite aspect was perhaps life on the waterways – a style of living that is non-existent in today’s society. Whole families would live in the single, cramped cabin of a narrowboat as they transported supplies up and down the waterways. The life was incredibly tough and children would work full days as soon as they could walk. When I decided to set Tethers in the past I wasn’t actually aware of how much work it would entail, but I really have learned an incredible amount and I think the novel is so much the better for it.
Do you have a strict writing routine?
No! I just try to get as much done as possible. I probably should try and sort more of a routine out though.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
The escapism. You just disappear off into your own world where you can do whatever you want, good or bad. It’s such an important part of my life now I could never give it up.
If you could live in a fictional world, which one would you choose and why?
The world from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Then I’d get my own daemon – awesome!
Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on at the moment?
Yep! Last year, I released a short story called X, it’s about a fifteen-year-old girl living through a kind of apocalypse. Thinking she is soon to die, she starts to write a journal, and that journal is the book. As I enjoyed writing X so much, I’ve decided to start working on full novel set in that same world. It takes place about a year after the events of X.
Quick-fire:
What is your…
favourite colour? Purple! Like my first car and my first book cover :P
favourite song? That’s too hard a question!
favourite book? His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.
favourite food? Chocolate!
favourite word? Chocolate!
favourite season? Spring probably, I despise winter.
favourite TV show? Walking Dead and Sherlock.
favourite author? Sharon Sant!
favourite animal? My gorgeous puppy-dog, Archie!
favourite day of the week? Easy, Saturday.
Huge thanks to Jack for taking the time out of his busy schedule to have a chat. You can buy his books on Amazon, just click on the pictures below!
Also, click on the picture of Jack and it'll take you to his website. You can also follow him on Twitter.