Ask Michelle
Here are Michelle’s most recent answers to the questions and messages readers have submitted.
Inspirational!
Charlie writes...
When I was around 10 or 11, my best friend introduced me to a book. It would go on to change the trajectory of my life - no exaggeration!
The book was, of course, Wolf Brother. Before long, our entire Primary 6/7 class was obsessed - one girl decided that she would marry Torak. By the time I went to secondary school, I had read the entire COAD series over the course of a year. By then it was just me and my best friend still on the hype train, but we didn't care!
I had long fallen head over heels in love with Michelle's writing style - the story grips you from the very first sentence - and, having been a lover of books and writing for years at that point, wondered about being an author myself some day. Of course I thought about other things too - hairdressing, primary teaching, singing - but it was always in the back of my mind.
One of the most memorable and special days in my entire time at secondary school was when Michelle came to visit in 2012. It was only supposed to be the S1 kids meeting her - and I was in S2 by that point - but the school librarian pulled some strings and I got to meet Michelle before the other kids even arrived (thanks Mrs Sinclair!). I still have the books she signed - in one of them, she wrote "Best of luck with your writing!"
Honestly - best day in the entirety of secondary school. Except of course, the day I left!
After I left, I struggled to find a job that brought me any kind of fulfilment, or at least, didn't affect my mental health too badly. It took eight years after leaving school, a serious re-evaluation of what I really wanted to do, for me to finally decide what I'd known all along - I wanted to be an author, just like Michelle. (I know, it's cheesy.)
So, here I am twelve years after meeting Michelle in person. In three days time, I go back to school - this time, to study Literature & Creative Writing BA(Hons).
In the hopes that Michelle does read this - I wanted to thank you, deeply, for the encouragement and inspiration you gave me all those years ago, both in person and through your books. I genuinely feel I wouldn't be in the position I am now if I hadn't read COAD as a kid (and I still love the books at 25). Your style of writing and vivid descriptions will continue to inspire me throughout my own journey as an author, and I can only hope I can write as beautifully as you do some day!
Thank you for everything,
Charlie
Michelle Replies...
Dear Charlie, What a marvellous message, thank you so much! It's wonderful to know that my books have had such a positive impact, and I'm really glad that my school visit all those years ago was part of that (school visits can be a bit of a whirl of activity, so it's always interesting to hear how it was perceived). It can certainly be a struggle to find a fulfilling job, and I applaud your decision to sign up for a Literature and Creative Writing degree. I really hope you enjoy it, and that it gives you what you're looking for. May your writing go from strength to strength! With very best wishes, Michelle
Edited version! Compliments to Wolf brother
Amy writes...
Hi Michelle Paver, I starting middle school and my librarian recommended the first book of the series, Wolf brother! He read the first chapter to us and from then on, I become completely enthralled in this world of nature, survival and action 🐺. The first chapter gripped everybody in our class, and I must say, you sure know how to capture attention!! The action and blood led me completely into the book, while startling me with the creepy atmosphere of knowing a killer demon bear is gonna sneak up on you. After arriving home from school, I immediately asked my mom to order the entire series (and I didn't know it was called the chronicles of ancient darkness so i got confused 🤔).
My favorite would be Spirit Walker, because of the even more gripping atmosphere and those creepy descriptions of people infected with the disease! I LOVEEEE your style of writing, not wasting a word (sometimes I write too much description) and always straight-on action, bloody and thrilling. Spirit walker is ur ideal horror story (I must say.. it was horrifying reading it in bed at midnight). I even brought it to a sleepover so I wouldn't become too sleepy and it rly does clear my mind up lol 💦.
Also I knew from the start, as the complete mastermind who pleasures herself upon conjuring up insane love connections and twists in the storyline, that the relationships would turn out as they would become!! ITS LIKE WATCHING A MOVIEE!!! I WISH YOU COULD ADD MORE 😭
Something interesting to think about: Nine out of ten adventure books with a hero as its main character always makes the hero fight the ultimate villain that will destroy the world in five days if you don't stop him, acquires amazing, super rare abilities, has one to two close friends and is born with a destiny and always singled out as special. Isn't that true with Torak, Harry Potter and lots more heroes we need in real life but can only find in books? 🥺 But of course we would always want a talented, charming hero, or who could defeat the villian? However, we don't rly notice this with Harry Potter because the storyline kinda just slides, adding some side stories, and challenges until the main battle with Lord Voldemort! And that's the magic of JK Rowling, and you have always accomplished that as well!
HII I got the email telling me about how u saw my original post, and I understand it had too much spoilers, because honestly, all I wanted to talk about was the books!! The fact that u knew there were spoilers meant that u read it and I am sooo happy!!!!! I sent it because it had all I rly wanted to say and well what can i talk about besides the book!!? It would be rly nice to have a section for people who have already read the series so we can talk openly! U could say, "bewarned, there ARE SPOILERS IN HERE. DO not click enter if u have not read the book". However, I am still really really glad that u read my first post because it had, again, everything I wanted to say to u!! and it didn't rly need any response, as long as u saw it!!!
I want to ask u something as well because well, I'm "asking Michelle Paver anything"!! I'm going into my teenager era and all that oil and acne is popping up. I've been rly insecure these days about some freckles and acne on my forehead. Also am I the only person who has black stuff going into my pores? I've been trying skincare, washing my face daily and putting on masks, but I've never seem to come across some rly useful products? Do you recommend anything to help ? I know this is a really weird question but we can all agree that most girls in my age now need this advice! Any brands u recommend? Nothing too dry tho
Thank u so much for seeing this 🙂 hope u reply!!
---- AMY sending lots of love to the wolf cubs!!
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Amy. I'm glad you're glad that I do indeed read all my messages - including yours! And it's brilliant that you're so enthusiastic about my stories. Insightful, too, about the structure of adventure stories. Someone once said that there are in fact only a very few original story lines in literature (the number is popularly believed to be seven) - and that all stories are variations on these. Maybe that's something to ponder as you read - or not. As for skincare, hmm, it's a long time since I had spots, although when I was your age I did, as well as those pesky blackheads. I'm sorry I can't recommend anything, except the usual advice about eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and avoiding fatty foods and too much chocolate. Boring advice, I'm afraid, but it helps. Also, these things usually clear up after a few years - which isn't much help to you now, but is something to bear in mind. In the meantime, enjoy being with Wolf et al in the Forest - where skincare means a quick wash in a nearby stream! With best wishes, Michelle
Wolf brother!!
Esme writes...
Hi again! It’s Esme! I just wanted to ask a few more questions
1. When is Torak’s birthday 🎉
2. When is renn’s birthday 🥳
3. When is Wolf’s birthday 🎂
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Esme. Torak's birthday is Midsummer night, which these days people say is either 21 or 24 June, although of course we don't know exactly what date the clans regarded as Midsummer night (but some time at the end of June is about right). Renn doesn't know her birthday (and without mentioning spoilers, when you think about it, you'll realise why); and neither does Wolf - mainly because he's a wolf, and they don't keep count of dates. So now I think I've covered all your questions, Esme, and I'm sure you'll understand if I don't answer any more; after all, we need to give other readers a chance, and I need to get down to some writing. But thank you very much for getting in touch so enthusiastically, and I hope you continue to spend many happy times in Torak's world! May the guardian run with you. With best wishes, Michelle
Wolf brother books 📖
Esme writes...
My name is Esme and I am 11 years old.
I am writing to you to ask if you could please 🙏🏼 write more wolf 🐺 brother books because i love them too much!
I have never in my whole entire life loved a series more than this one. I can’t even say how much I love it 🥰
I have already read all of them including skin taker and wolf bane. I would do anything so i could read more wolf brother.
Also i read the whole entire series 3 times! I guess it wouldn’t hurt to read it again! Again i can’t explain to anyone how much I adore them. I also have a few questions for you.
1. How do you make your books so so good and descriptive and heartwarming and frightening all at the same time?
2. How do the clans brush their teeth and stuff like that?
3. Do you enjoy any specific snacks while you are writing your books?
4. Do you have any favorite characters? Mine are Sheshru Renn Pebble Rip and Rek and basically all of them!
5. What was your favorite wolf brother book that you ever wrote?
6. Sorry if I’m bugging you a bit but-lease can you make more wolf brother books?????
7. I love how you make it so that everyone has a clan ( except Torak ) and there are spirits in everything. How do you do think of it?
Your number #1# fan Esme!!#!!
PS: i hope i didn’t put any spoilers in there!
Please again could you make more wolf brother books i badly need them for reading!
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Esme. Thank you for your three messages, and I'm really pleased that you love my stories so much! I'm also grateful to you for avoiding spoilers. I'm afraid that despite your heartfelt pleas, I've no plans to write another wolf brother book. I've explained why in answers to other readers, but in essence, I just feel that I've given Torak, Renn and Wolf a good send-off, and I want to end on a high note, with a book (Wolfbane) I can be proud of. I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Moving on to your questions, some of yours were the same as Chris', so you can see what I've told him; as regards what's left: (1) Thank for saying such nice things about my writing. The answer is: it involves a great deal of hard work and masses of re-writing; I re-write each book dozens of times, to get it right. (2) I think in one of the books I mention Renn cleaning her teeth by chewing a twig, or a strawberry root; and generally Torak's people had fairly good teeth, as they didn't have sugar or sweets; but if they got toothache, they chewed pine resin, which is a natural antiseptic, and/or willow bark, a pain-killer. (3) Of course I love Torak and Renn, and Fin-Kedinn and Dark, and I also enjoyed creating the Soul-Eaters! But if you told me to pick one favourite, it would have to Wolf. I found it oddly easy to write from his point of view, and he never failed to surprise me. (7) As for thinking up the different clans and the spirits which inhabit Torak's world, I based many of my ideas on the ways of life of more recent hunter-gatherers, such as the Inuit and certain Native American peoples. There's lots on this in each of the Author's Notes at the end of each book, so you might like to take a look there.
I'll have to leave it there, Esme, as I must go and do some writing. Thanks again for getting in touch, and I hope you continue to enjoy spending time with Torak, Renn and Wolf in the Forest! With very best wishes, Michelle
Asking about wolf brother books
Chris writes...
I love your books too much that I can’t even say how much I love them 😍
Please can you make more wolf brother books because i have read all of them and i love them too much! I can’t find any other series of books that I love as much as yours! I also have a few questions for you about your books!
1. Do you have any specific snacks you eat while you’re writing your books 📖
2.How do you make your books so good?
3.how do all the clans brush their teeth 🦷
4. Do you think you could describe how Renn and Torak look like because i can’t seem to get my mind on them!
5. What was your favorite wolf brother book that you have written so far?
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Chris. I'm really glad that you like the wolf brother books so much! You'll probably have gathered from my answers to other readers that I'm afraid I won't be writing any more, no matter how persuasively you plead (sorry about that) - but here are the answers to some of your questions: (1) I don't eat snacks at all while I'm writing, but I do drink quite a lot of coffee. It's mostly just instant, but for the first mug of the day I have real coffee with half a teaspoon of cocoa in it. That's a way of persuading me to sit down and write! (4) I've included little bits of description about Torak and Renn throughout Wolf Brother and also in some of the subsequent books, and I prefer to leave it to readers to form their own impressions of them in their imaginations; so I think I'll leave that up to you. (5) I don't really have favourites among the Wolf Brother books, although usually my temporary favourite is the last one I've written, because it's still freshest in my mind; so when I'd just finished Wolfbane, that was my favourite. These days, however, I have no favourites. That's all I've got time for, Chris, as I need to answer Esme's questions. Thanks for getting in touch, and may the guardian run with you! With best wishes, Michelle
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Inspiration
Emily writes...
Hello!
I just wanted to say that this series, even as a 24 year old, holds the biggest place in my heart. I have never felt so immersed into a world before. I read these when I was very young, and have re-read them so, so many times since. Young me always dreamt of living in the woods, exploring, gathering and obviously having a friend Wolf to be with. These books made me feel at home, as unusual at that may sound.
In the last year or so, I have recently thought about attempting to write a book. I have been an avid reader my entire life. I want to thank you for kickstarting my reading passion with your Wolf Brother book. I don't think I will ever find the magic again as I did reading them. I wanted to ask, what inspired you to write this series? And what made you decide to set it around 4000BC? I find the age absolutely fascinating, and I've never seen it done anywhere else in a book I've come across so far.
Thank you so much for inspiring me to push myself to give something new a go. I may ask you a few questions in the future about how you helped gather the information and culture inspiration for these books, as I saw you took several trips throughout Europe to explore these cultures, which is absolutely amazing.
Michelle Replies...
Dear Emily, what a delightful message. I'm so glad that you continue to enjoy my books - and particularly that they've inspired you to think about writing yourself. Your question about inspiration is tricky to answer, because usually I can only work that out long after I've written a story, by trying to see what in the past may have fed into it. If you go to the wolfbrother.com website and into the Cave, there's a section called Why I Wrote Wolf Brother in which I give more details; but the bottom line is that most stories come from the unconscious, so their origins are always a bit mysterious!
Choosing the period in which to set the story is easier. My original idea was simply for a story about a boy, a wolf, a girl and a bear, set in a huge forest. As for when to set it, I considered three options: the near future, after some sort of global catastrophe had destroyed civilisation; the present; or the distant past. It took about five minutes to ditch the first two and go for the distant past, and another two minutes to go for the Stone Age - probably because as a child I'd been entranced by a wonderful book on the archaeology of Stone Age hunter-gatherers in my father's study (although I didn't remember it at the time). An afternoon's research suggested the Mesolithic, and to begin with I set Wolf Brother seven thousand years ago; but more research revealed that at that time the Scandinavian coast had been inundated by a sort of tsunami - so I swiftly moved things along a thousand years, and the tsunami became the Great Wave, a distant memory of the clans! Also, six thousand years ago worked well, because the people of my chosen area were still living as hunter-gatherers, and the neolithic way of life, ie farming, hadn't yet reached them, unlike in most other parts of northern Europe. So this kept things simple.
Thank you so much for getting in touch. I hope you continue to enjoy Torak's world, and good luck with your own writing! With best wishes, Michelle
Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness
Jacob writes...
Hello, Michelle!
My name is Jacob and I am 14. I recently sent a message to your mailbox. When I sent it I hadn’t actually finished the last book. Upon finishing it, I saw in the authors note that your neighbors from wimbledon had helped you with writing about wolfs tail. I was so shocked to find out my favourite writer also lives in the same town as me. I also wanted to say that your books are stunning and page turning unlike no other.
I said this in my other message: that I had an idea about a book you could write (renn and toraks child is taken to be used as a tokoroth). I know you said you would never write another one of these books, and I know it is such hard work writing books, but genuinely I would on behalf of every fan be elated to read another book. Now finally for my question:
-Would Clans 6000 years ago tolerate homosexuality
-what was your favorite book to write
-are you ever going to pursue trying to bring the movie version alive? (Please 😁)
Thank you,
Jacob
Michelle Replies...
Hello again, Jacob; and what a coincidence that you live in the same area as me! To answer your questions: first, as regards a film of Wolf Brother, it's really for the film studios to decide that; and if someone comes along who looks likely to make a good job of it, of course I'll be open to that. Secondly, you asked about peoples' attitudes to homosexuality in Torak's time, 6,000 years ago. The short answer is, we simply don't know. So when I came to write the books, I based the clans' attitudes and beliefs on those of more recent hunter-gatherers, as well as those of people who until recently still lived in traditional ways (see my Author's Notes to the stories for more details). This led me to take the view that, while some of the clans in the books might be prejudiced (I'm thinking of the Deep Forest clans, who are pretty bigotted, telling Renn that women can't be mages!), other clans are more inclusive; particularly the Ravens, led by Fin-Kedinn. My research leads me to believe that this is plausible. Thirdly, you asked what was my favourite book to write. I don't really have favourites - except to say that perhaps my favourite is usually the book I've just finished. This is because I can still remember how hard it was to write, and yet I've managed to smooth out all the difficult bits and produce a book I'm proud of. So right now it's Rainforest, a ghost story for adults, which comes out next year. Finally, you put in another plea for a tenth Wolf Brother book. Again, nice try, Jacob; but I think nine books will do. And I'm currently having too much fun writing Gothic novels for adults, to stop! Thanks for getting in touch again. With very best wishes, Michelle
Sobre Crónicas de la prehistoria
Juan writes...
Hola Michelle!!!
Soy un seguidor de “Crónicas de la prehistoria “ y me gustaría saber si en un futuro se plantearía la producción de una serie animada de la saga.
Muchísimas gracias por crear y compartir esta maravillosa historia!!!
Un cordial y cariñoso saludo!!!
Michelle Replies...
Hola, Juan Carlos! Actually I don't speak Spanish, but I think I've managed to understand your message. I'm really pleased that you've been enjoying the Chronicles of Prehistory (as they're known in Spanish)! I'm afraid that there are currently no plans to make a film version, or an animated series, but let's hope that things change in the future. In the meantime, may you continue to enjoy the stories! With very best wishes, Michelle
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
Lucie writes...
Hey Michelle,
Im from Germany and read the series in German. Usually, I'm not really into reading but a friend read out loud some parts of Spirit Walker and I was amazed. I started reading and finished the first six books faster than I have ever read in my life.
Yesterday I found out, that there are three more books and I would love to read them. So I was wondering, if they are going to be translated to German? That would be sooo great.
Thank you for your time and your wonderful work.
Lucie
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Lucie. It's great that you've enjoyed the stories so much! As for the final three books, I'm afraid that there are no plans for them to be translated into German. That's not something I have any control over, it's up to the German publishers; and it means that if you want to find out what happens, you'll have to read the books in English. I realise that's not wonderful news, even though your English strikes me as extremely good, and I'm sorry to disappoint you. Thank you so much for your lovely message - and whatever you decide to do, I wish you many more happy hours in the Forest with Torak, Renn and Wolf. With very best wishes, Michelle
Chronicles of ancient darkness book idea!
Jacob writes...
Hi Michelle,
As a 14 year old, this book series is the first ever that I felt hooked to and couldn’t go half a day without wanting to keep reading. I read the entire series in less than 2 weeks and I loved it so much. The plots, book ideas and page turning writing is incredible. I was sad to see that there wouldn’t be a tv series, although it would be awesome. I know you probably get 100s of people asking for more, but this book idea will hopefully persuade you!?
Some sort of evil character steals Renn’s and Torak’s child to use as a tokoroth, and they have to journey somewhere to get it back, facing challenges on the way…
Thank you very much,
Jacob
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Jacob. It's brilliant that you've been enjoying the stories so much, and thanks for your innovative idea for a further book. It's a nice try, but I'm afraid that I've no plans to write any more Wolf Brother stories. You see, I just think that with the ninth and final book, Wolfbane, I've given the characters a good send-off; and I prefer to end on a high note, rather than letting the series peter out. I'm sorry to disappoint you. Perhaps a bit of re-reading will help you get back into the Forest? Thanks for getting in touch. With best wishes, Michelle