Novel Victory

This is the article I have written after my interview with the authors of tunnels. I asked many questions to discover the writer�s creative process and the history of their publication. I hope this may answer some of your own questions about writing and p

Few ever get to that mountain peek of dreams and ambition, finding the chance to realise and see put into action all they have desired. For many of us the prospects of writing a novel is a long lingered thought, most often nothing more then a distant fantasy, but one duo have seen fit to Tunnel underground just that little bit Deeper and Freefall into their own adventure…

Upon meeting this dynamic team for the first time I was welcomed with good humour and warm respect, and I do in fact presume to admit that never before have I met such a forthcoming pair. In the first hour of our meeting I sat in on a presentation the authors had fashioned to inform local high school student on published life. Literacy partners Brain Williams and Roderick Gordon started by telling of a long and glorious companionship dating over a near three decades, starting form their own undergraduate years. The presentation commenced with a quote from their publisher, Barry Cunningham, the founder of the Chicken House Publishing, who said “If you write children’s books you have to be a child in yourself”.  The authors then provided a factual and amusing illumination on their own childhoods and Gordon’s post adolescents’ obsession with the collection of Action Man dolls.  

The presentation went on to explain a little about the characters featured in the first book Tunnels. The main focus of the novel is a fourteen-year-old albino called Will Burrows, who incidentally lives up to his family name with a healthy appetite for excavation and archaeology. After his father Dr Burrows, the curator of the local museum, with plentiful ambition for remembrance, goes missing; Will and his newfound friend Chester is forced to enter a world beyond their knowledge, hidden far underground, where they are caught up in a terrifying secret, where nothing is certain except the probability of death. When asked what they thought Will Burrows would think of their tome, Gordon and Williams replied, “he would like that it was all about archaeology and tunnels, the sort of thing Will really loves…. but he probably wouldn’t like the attention drawn on him.”

The writers presentation then held a few small film clips acted out by the authors themselves as Gordon gave a short reading from Tunnels and their latest release of the series, the second book Deeper. They captivated their audience then with screenshots from the Tunnels Videogame created by their Polska publishers and with the clandestine that within the next few weeks they, Gordon and Williams, would be receiving news as to whether Tunnels would soon be turned into a feature length film.

The novelists told me of their publishing history which started at the result of the Tunnels manuscript, then hence being self-published by the pair. The ‘Highfield Mole’ as the volume was originally entitled was then put to ‘reverse shoplifting’ as the duo began to leave paperback copies in Waterstone outlets, on public transport and even up trees! Williams and Gordon explain that this was done in the hope that more people would read the book and that they could sell more copies of the publication, so to afford to print Will Burrows second set of adventures. They disclose to never having thought that, after everything, they would be noticed. In March 2005 a specialist magazine detected Tunnel, then throwing the story into the sight and attention of Harrods and Ottakar’s whom then obtained the remainder of the unsold copies of the novel. Then one day this year since, a curious stranger called the duo, interested in purchasing a copy of this book he had heard so much about. Disappointed that the publication had sold out the editor of Chicken House Publishing, Barry Cunningham signed ‘Highfield Mole’ to his label and launched it under the name Tunnels.

The book went on to sell over seventy thousand copies with more purchases daily, and along with its twin, Deeper, is being sold in thirty-eight countries and in over thirty-five different languages.

When asked about their creative process the pair reviled all, including the creation of an idea, which had been a two-ended candle. The original spark of the forthcoming scheme came when Gordon first moved into a 16^th century property in Northamptonshire, when a neighbour happen by, and revealed the legend of a underground tunnel that led from the local church to the very house in which Gordon now lived. The neighbour then told Gordon of how he as a young lad would search the church’s subterranean vault for the mouth of the passageway, but never found it. This then joined with Williams interest and knowledge of Joseph Williamson, a tunnelist in the 19^th century, Liverpool. But the idea truly came to light in the depths of a dark, stormy night of ninth month, when the writers were working together on a screenplay, when it was suggested by Gordon’s wife that they should switch from writing thriller to children’s books. At first the vibrant pair laughed at the idea but within a few hours, when all other where in bed, they sat scribing a background for Will Burrows and Tunnels.

The novel took two years to write.

Williams and Gordon can never decided on who came up with what in their tales, despite Williams sketching storyboard and Gordon making keen drafts, the pair are so in tune that they have come about what they call the ‘third mind effect’, thus over coming the complications of co-authorship.

The duet still often write with each other, despite a vast gap between their residents, and can often be found wondering the streets together with pen and paper, jotting things down in cafés, or at a kitchen table, during their best writing times (between 9pm and 4am) before settling down for a few hours on the playstation.

When the time came for me to ask questions I had few left unanswered, but proceeded to enquire after their biggest inspiration in the literacy realm. Amongst their favourite titles are, ‘Lord of the Flies’, and Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’, which in itself provided the authors with much inspiration.  They told me that about halfway through the novel the main characters run form a figure whilst underground. The figure is never rediscovered. Curious as to whom this character is and where he came from the authors had this to say, “You could say that in our books we have gone to find him.”

Writing novels since 2003, with other projects before, the pair agree that the most important role of a writer in the contemporary age, is to remain true to their muse and to express themselves honesty. But at the same time a writer holds responsibility to their characters, for example, if you leave your masked man holding up a bank and neglect to write the next page, your chap will still be in that same position today, unable to move forwards. The duo told me that they wanted their characters to be believable, not an implausible hero, but still in need of friends and family.

It has been quite mistakenly spoken of by some newspapers and other publications that Tunnels, Deeper, and the next book, most likely to be entitled Freefall, our set to become the next Harry Potters. The authors disclaim this opinion and say that it is most likely due to the fact that they share their discovery with that of JK Rowlings’, as it was Barry Cunningham, who signed JK to Bloomsbury before quitting the company to form his own publishing corporation, who also published Tunnels. Williams and Gordon are insistent that their novel could not be further from that of the Harry Potter series, which is full of magic whereas Tunnels is a utterly different font of inspiration, capturing well established subjects and fact, interweaving it with fantasy and creativity for the end result of a challenging and invigorating work.

In conclusion it must be said that although this book may be falsely accused of being the next Harry Potter, I scenery hope that Williams and Gordon have the same success. The novels are intriguing, well thought-out and make for a wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable read. I have certainly learnt much from my consultation with them, greatly enjoying every moment and vastly look forward to their next chapter.

 

“Even underground there is even more beneath your feet!”

~Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams~

 

Reviews

[Ruby Moon]

and interesting article...
and thank you for bring a few unknown books to my attention
it seems to be promoting the book while giving some background on the author...
is that your intention? if it is, you succed well
^-^
informative and yet not dry and boring
just the right balance i would say
but then again...i gave a brief look thru so i cant vouch that there is no mistakes in there
thank you for sharing

[Michael Raymond Robinso..]

This was very professionally written, yet enjoyable, not drab and 'humdrum'. It was enterianing and at the same we learn about 2 remarkable writers. Extremely well done!

[These Haunted Hallways]

Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!!!! Remarkably done, hun!!!! An incredible interview with the pro's! This story was wonderfully made with such passion, adventure, and the great will of learning more and more about these two great individuals. Like an Indiana Jones movie, hehe. A few grammatical and punctuation errors, however, very beautifully composed! I was so in it. *Tips hat* ;)

B.A.

[Nicole Renee]

I have to agree, this was an interesting article. Thanks for sharing. :]

-Nicole