Without further ado, here is Liz:
Five reasons why I
love time travel stories
1. I love the idea of time being circular, rather than
linear. In other words, I love playing with the idea that we can not only
affect the future by what we do in the present, but that we can go back into
the past and change our future. Or even change the past with something we do in
the present. I like to think that time might not be as straightforward a
concept as we think, and that it really could be another dimension that is far
more flexible and unpredictable than we realise.
2. I love the possibilities that open up if time travel is a
factor. Like the romances that become possible in The Lake House, or The Time
Traveller’s Wife. Or the way that repeated or alternate lives can give you
another chance, like in Sliding Doors,
or Groundhog Day or It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s all about
stepping out of the strict black and white ideas of what is possible and
wondering if there are other versions of our lives that we could pursue. And,
whether we can time travel or not, this idea is something that we could all
consider at times anyway.
3. Yes, I admit it. I like the feeling of forcing my brain
to work that little bit harder to grasp a concept that is almost – but not
quite – out of reach. Like in the Back to
the Future films, where various characters have to jump through all sorts
of hoops to avoid messing with the space-time continuum. Or in Terminator, where a character from the
future has to go back in time to kill a child so that he doesn’t grow up to
become a rebel leader who will himself come back in time at some point in the
future. Arrrggghh! See what I mean? Melts the brain. But I like it!
4. Just like with mermaids, fairies and pirate dogs (the
subjects of my other books) time travel is a concept that no one can 100% tell
you you’ve got wrong. As far as we know, time travel isn’t actually a real
possibility. So it’s all about the imagination – and this appeals to me. I love
to let my imagination run free without fear of correction and admonishment. If
I was writing about Victorian Britain, I’m sure I’d get some of my facts wrong,
and I bet it wouldn’t take long for someone to write and tell me so. But with
time travel – well, as far as we know, no one has yet successfully done it, so
it’s up to me to decide for myself how it works. Unless, of course, you know
otherwise…
5. It’s basically more fun than boring old reality. The
thing is, we live in a real, normal world every day. And that’s fine, for a
place to live – but when it comes to writing (or reading – or watching)
stories, I do love a bit of something extra thrown into the mix. And time
travel is the perfect way to do that. It’s so nearly something that we could
believe is possible, and yet something so impossible at the same time. It’s
enticing and magical, and yet gives us another way to look at reality. It’s the
perfect escapism and I love it.
All of which is why I’m very excited that Orion have let me
write three books all dealing with time travel in different ways. North of Nowhere is the second. I hope
you love time travel too. And I hope that if you read North of Nowhere, you’ll enjoy that too! Thanks for having me on
the blog, and happy (time) travels!
Lizx
Thanks for your Time Travel enthusiasm Liz! The space-time continuum is mind-blowing stuff to get your head around.
NORTH OF NOWHERE by Liz Kessler is
published by Orion Children’s Books on 24 January in hardback at £9.99
My readers may also be interested to hear about a a North of Nowhere creative writing competition that
we are running to celebrate young talent. The competition is open to all
writers aged 8-13 who need to finish the story (which is the opening paragraph
of NORTH OF NOWHERE) in 500 words or less. Entries are open from 17 January
2013 – 28 March 2013. The winner will have their story published on the
Guardian Children’s Books website, will win a digital camera as well as £100
worth of Orion Children’s Books for their school library.
The competition launched on
the Guardian Childrens Books website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2013/jan/21/liz-kessler-north-nowhere-creative-writing-competition
Do check it out!
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