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of the Amulet. What I wrote down at the time was copied almost word for word when it came for Nala to tell the story to Rachel and Alex.
Summer placement came around again and I felt that I must start writing properly. There is only so much planning that you can do and I felt that if I didn't start writing, I would forget some of what I imagined. Also around this time, I started keeping a diary and at times wrote about T'Tenneb. The first mention is on the 25th of March 1991. I had just returned home from university for Easter.
Tomorrow, I am helping Dad to stain the new garden table. So much for my rest. I hoped to start 'T'Tenneb' properly during these two weeks. Maybe later.
Due to placement problems, I ended up doing an Applications of Engineering Technology course for twelve weeks. I was in my element, getting my hands dirty with sand casting, machining, milling etc. My life was busy, but I didn't forget T'Tenneb. In the mornings, I would cycle to the course through a park, and as the sun would be in my eyes most of the time, I took to wearing sunglasses. There was also a stream in the park, and I noticed that the water looked black with spots of white sunshine when viewed through sunglasses. I remembered this image and transferred it into the book as the Amulet effect.
Having decided to start seriously, I finally put pen to paper. The first thing I did was write the synopsis. Two pages of A4, which I didn't really refer to much afterwards, but it was a step closer to writing properly, and also helped me to sort out the final order of events. Probably the main reason that I actually got started was that I had a lunch hour during the course and there was nothing else for me to do after eating but write my diary, or T'Tenneb. I usually wrote in my diary.
21st April 1991
Must do the census now, then maybe actually start 'T'Tenneb' properly. I have finished the outline. Tell you later.
23rd April 1991
I still haven't started properly. The hardest bit really is the first page. I shall probably scribble down some ideas in a minute......
I think now, I will get some crisps and think about an opening for 'T'Tenneb'.
25th April 1991
...Well, I must continue with 'T'Tenneb' now, which I have actually started.
As far as I remember, I did write a page, but got no further. It was later in the summer that I really got into the swing of things. I did have some other ideas though.
6th May 1991
What I need now is another story, from the distant past of 'T'Tenneb', that can be told round a campfire.
This was the beginning of the idea for The Ballad of the Soldier and the Slave. Over two lunch hours, I wrote the outline in my diary, but it was another year before it was turned into the final version that appears in the book. This is probably the point that I started to create the Universal Treasures, as in the outline, I mention the Relics of the Ancients, one of which is a shield that can stop anything. When they became the Universal Treasures, I do not know because this was one of those ideas that sit in the furthest corner of your subconscious and develop until they are ready to pop out and say 'Hi!'.
20th May 1991
The weekend was quite relaxing. I managed a short shopping trip on Saturday, and so was back in time for a film. Most of the rest of the time, I was making a fimo model of Elenopa. I'm not much of an artist, but I'm quite pleased with the results. I will harden it tonight.
A bit of a creative aside, but it was fun and enabled me to bring to life my lead character so that other people could see her. I still have the model.
After the course finished, I got a placement with the BBC (sounds impressive). This was really great for my writing because I had a bus ride of an hour each way to write my diary and think up ideas, and a lunch hour to fill. I have found that enforced idleness such as lunch hours are the best way for me to write. Before I began writing, I would read. Once I got into the habit of writing in the lunch hour, T'Tenneb really began to grow, and my progress is recorded in my diary.
31st July 1991
I did some writing of 'T'Tenneb' at lunch. I'm beginning to get into it now.
5th August 1991
Friday (i.e. 2nd August): Got some of the orders ready, did some calculations, took the vibration of the
(Continued on page 4)
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