Literacy

Ask Michelle Anything

Ethelyn writes…

Can you tell me about your experience of writing books?

Michelle Replies…

Hello, Ethelyn.  Ooh, that’s a very big question; I could probably write a whole book about the experience of writing books! But it’s also a good question.  In brief, I love doing the research, and brain-storming a new story – but I hate, absolutely loathe, what I call “writing from scratch” – that is, when I’m faced with a blank piece of paper, and I have to decide HOW to tell the story, rather than simply dreaming up what will happen (which is much easier).  However once I’ve made a start, and have typed up my first chapter on the computer, I begin to enjoy re-writing it, because at least I’ve got over the worst part. Although then of course I have to do the same all over again for Chapter Two – and so on, until I’ve written what I call my first draft.  Then things get better, though, because by that stage I know more about my characters and what the story is about, so the subsequent months of intensive re-writing are much more fun, even if they’re very hard work.  So to sum up: writing (for me) is very hard work, and at times it feels very muddled and frustrating.  But that’s more than made up for by the times when it’s marvellous: for instance, when a scene really comes alive and I can practically see the characters.  And it’s incredibly satisfying when the story starts coming together, and I keep getting ideas for how to make it better.  I could go on, but I haven’t time – as I’ve got to go and write a chapter from scratch!  But I hope that gives you some idea, and that if you’re keen on writing, it hasn’t put you off.  With best wishes, Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

Incredible… Inspiring… In Person!

Only 49 days to grab your ticket!

Wimbledon Book Festival

October 17, 2025
Festival patron and Sunday Times bestselling author Michelle Paver will talk about her latest supernatural fiction in this live recording with Always Take Notes, a podcast for and about writers and writing.

Michelle will discuss her incredible career, from finding inspiration for Wolf Brother on Wimbledon Common to her latest novel Rainforest, which weaves Mayan culture with themes of obsession, gender and rebirth.

Only 52 days to grab your ticket!

The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury

October 20, 2025

Join Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Sheperd-Robinson as they discuss their stories in a brand new collection of ghostly tales called The Witching Hour.

In this dazzling collection of original haunted tales, thirteen bestselling and much-loved authors bring the old superstition of the witching hour to new and vivid life.
Transporting you from the smog of London to the freezing mists of Svalbard, from an Irish town riddled with rumour to a sinister English boarding school, these thirteen stories will serve as your spine tingling companion to the long hours of winter.
So curl up, light a candle, and wait for the clock to strike . . .
Only 57 days to grab your ticket!

Yeovil Literary Festival

October 25, 2025

An experience like no other. From a writer like no other...

Successfully published as an adult author, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (“Wolf Brother”) were her first books for younger readers, followed by her brilliant 5-part series set in the bronze age, Gods and Warriors. On the adult side, her first ghost story, Dark Matter, was a UK bestseller and won massive praise from reviewers and readers alike, as did her second ghost story, Thin Air.

Oxford Literary Festival 2026

March 29, 2026

The Oxford Literary Festival takes place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston Library, and Oxford colleges such as Christ Church and Worcester College. The festival includes international authors, journalists, intellectuals, historians, and poets.