The Making of Torn Pages: An Inconvenient Spring: Chapter One

The first chapter of Torn Pages: An Inconvenient Spring was an intentional attempt to get back to the innocence and magic of Torn Pages, hence the "rustle some life" wording. It had been a tough winter, and I had just come off three bleak books. As I started writing An Inconvenient Spring, it soon became clear this book would not be a rediscovery of the magic; it would be tougher, rougher, and a bleaker book.

I decided to do a satire of private school. Hence, Blyton Academy. I'll admit that while I digested Enid Blyton books when I was younger, I had grown cynical of their "safe" nature, as well as the racism, obviously. Therefore, it seemed apt to make the initial location of this book a private school that I could satirise. I think this was done sympathetically. The girls in this book are so jaded and disturbed by their authoritarian surroundings, they turn to smoking and alcohol and vaping, escaping into the woods so they can get away from the soullessness of it all.

This chapter underwent excessive edits so I could get the atmosphere and tone just right.