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If not for Halloween... by Christina Clarry
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Rated "G" by the Author.
Halloween changed my life!
If not for Halloween … a true account
It was the beginning of October and Halloween was approaching. This annual event coincided with my usual grandson sitting duties during half term.
Ghoulish decorations would be put up. Jack-o’-lanterns would be designed by the boys and carved by me.
The final touch would be to bring some atmospheric, thematic books for them to read.
They were two voracious young readers with demanding, inquisitive minds! My online search did nothing to inspire me. I failed miserably to find stimulating books for 7 to 9 year olds. Too easy … nothing suitable for Halloween … too childish … already been read …
Their shelves were overflowing with all the best children’s books. Little wonder it was difficult to find a new one. Perhaps if I Googled a list of their criteria something would come up.
So I made the mistake of asking my grandsons what their ‘ideal story’ would be about! I should have known better. The suggestions came flooding in.
“Dragons, wizards and witches, battles, castles, animals, snakes …”
I had to interrupt them there. “Did you say snakes?” I asked in amazement.
“Of course!” chipped in the youngest. “Like Kaa!”
Mmm … I should have known. He had loved The Jungle Book.
But there couldn’t possibly be a book with everything they wanted in it. Now I had my reputation at stake. The gauntlet had been thrown down.
With three weeks to go, the only choice was to start writing a book for them! But I also wanted it to appeal to parents, grandparents and junior school educators. And I wanted a book that I would enjoy reading to them. It was George Bernard Shaw who famously said ‘Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.’
Somehow I managed to produce a draft by the time half term arrived. This immediately engaged them and their enthusiasm and wonderful imaginations set fire to my pen. What began as a short story metamorphosed into a fantasy novel of 65,000 words!
My years of research as a biologist in the game areas of Zambia and later as a teacher in South Africa had been drawn upon.
I had kept non-poisonous snakes as teaching props in South Africa before releasing them back into the wild. Health and safety laws didn’t restrict us.
Sometimes a Red-lipped Herald would fall into our home swimming pool and I would rescue it and hold it in my vivarium until I could release it elsewhere.
One night one of these mildly poisonous snakes escaped, and my first husband accidentally stumbled upon it in the house. They had an aggressive confrontation. For a small snake, this Herald had big attitude.
After I caught the furious reptile for the second time, my other half delivered an ultimatum.
“It’s me or the snake!”
As he was my first husband, I will leave you to speculate on the outcome.
So there is a snake with a humorous, zany character in my story and there are fascinating animals and places woven into the tale.
To please my grandsons, there are the dragons, a castle, wizards and witches as well as the battles that they requested. But there is also a subliminal message throughout the book - that wars are foolish and senseless. The characters starting them are depicted as outrageously stupid.
I hope Roald Dahl would have approved.
Most of all, I hope my grandsons approve …
And if any of you stumble across The Great Wizard Wars and have any objections or complaints, please address these to my grandsons.
The book is their fault!
I enjoyed reading your account of what prompted you to write 'The Great Wizard Wars,' reaffirming that necessity is the mother of invention. Most importantly, you gifted your grandsons a memorable treasure.
What a nice way promote your book, a background story. I like your research--asking the kids what they really wanted to read. But, I kind of wished they would've stayed with just the snakes and other real creatures rather than going off into the list of fantasy fellows that are written about all the time. I think at that age, they're already ready for Tom Sawyer, or if you are brave enough, Huckleberry Finn.
Tasked by his Goddess to find, relocate, and then quicken, the last three Heart Tree gem-seeds, Vanx the bard, and his motley crew of adventurers, set out to do just that.
Tasked by his Goddess to find, relocate, and then quicken, the last three Heart Tree gem-seeds, Vanx the bard, and his motley crew of adventurers, set out to do just that.
