Exploring Genres and Personal Narratives

This week we chat with Eowyn Ivey, the acclaimed author of The Snow Child and To the Bright Edge of the World, ahead of her new novel Black Woods, Blue Sky. We explore the inspiration behind her vivid Alaskan settings, her journey from bookseller to bestselling novelist, and the themes of resilience and wonder that thread through her work.

Black Woods, Blue Sky, tells the story of Birdie and Emaleen, mother and daughter travelling through the Alaskan wilderness, until they meet the timid Arthur. They soon form a close-knit group and move in with him, only to discover that he came transform into a Grizzly Bear.

It's a story inspired by a difficult childhood, and Eowyn explored how she was effected by her father's brutality through the story. We discuss how she managed to keep a plot going and grounded, when unpacking what had happened to her. You can hear why she has published just 3 books in 14 years, and how she keeps saying she's done with writing... only to be tempted back to the page.

Eowyn reveals how much she thinks about genre, why the benegits of success don't apply to storytelling, and when she started to understand that the novel was drawing to a close.

You can get a copy of the book here - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine

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