The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Beast Beyond the Fence

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MARTA: It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to join together. Because, again, our eyes change all the time anyway. ALEX: So the first thing I think about is what do I want the setting to do in- as part of the story? Um, how do I want this place to feel? Um, how do I want the audience to feel about it? And then when you can go from there, when you know what you want, um, you-, how you want the place to feel, then you- you go through your senses. Think about your smell, um, the things you can hear, the things you can see. And then just really go through there, and, um, and using that you can really craft a- a setting. OK, Marta, I've got another one for you here. How do you think illustrations add to the experience for the reader?

Thank you so much. If you've drawn Marcus Rashford then send it in because we want to have a look. Thank you, Marta and Alex, for joining us in Book Club!LAURA: Excellent. OK. OK, Alex, I've got one for you here. As a writer, how do you create a sense of suspense and mystery in an opening chapter? I mean, you know, you wanna keep the readers wanting to read more, right? Dive into an exciting and mysterious adventure full of fun-filled friendships, fantastical creatures and incredible investigations by the #1 bestselling author Marcus Rashford! MARTA: That's right. And it's a nice way because when you're using a pen like s- like this one you can't rub it off. So you just draw the line in there. MARTA: Oh my goodness. Er, they add massively, I think. 'Cause obviously the text is one thing but then the illustrations just basically expand, I think, the story. So, er, you illustrate what is in a story but also maybe what isn't, to a degree. So maybe, you know, some things aren't quite said in a text but you can add them, um, expand, basically. ALEX: Mm-hmm, yeah. The thing that I always think about is, um, for getting my main character, um, to think about what are the things that they want and to um-, and to kind of show them trying to get that. Um, when you have a main character and you have a thing that they want, you immediately have, I think, a little bit of tension, which I think can really add to the mystery, um, and to the suspense of a chapter.

The novel will be published in May 2022, with an illustrator to be confirmed shortly. It will be the third title to be distributed by the Marcus Rashford Book Club, after A Dinosaur Ate My Sister by Pooja Puri, illustrated by Allen Fatimaharan, and Silas and the Marvellous Misfits by Tom Percival. LAURA: Of course, the eyebrows. They give expression. Oh, and I see what you've done there. You've done it like Marcus' eyebrow.

And, you know, I look at that. I- I sort of think, oh, what are the good ones or the not. And usually I may have some of my own ideas, so then we have this dialogue and I suggest, oh, how about this? And then from that we have the proper solid list on to which I– LAURA: –Yeah, that's a good-, that's a good tip. OK, Marta, this one's for you. As an illustrator, how do you decide what you're going to draw in a book? MARTA: So, we look at the bottom of the six, again, and a little bit over the nostrils, just to find your way...somewhere here. LAURA: Yeah. OK, Alex, another one for you. Do you have any tips for writing setting descriptions? How do you set the scene?

LAURA: Hmm. We've got some questions about writing and illustrating books, but all we need is a writer and an illustrator. Ah! Marta! Alex! Perfect! LAURA: Yeah, that's good. Thank you. And finally, when you're writing, do you ever read the words out loud to see how it sounds? And do you think it's important to use lots of EXPRESSION when reading out LOUD?!

About Marcus Rashford, Alex Falase-Koya

ALEX: Well, um, this is the type of thing where we kind of do-, it's all a real team effort. So we have loads of book designers who, um, look really hard at the text and think about what are the type of things which, um, are words that can catch the audience's eye. Um, and they kind of help, er, put that all together. ALEX: Yeah! laughter Um, I definitely read out loud, especially because sometimes I may make a little mistake or miss out a word, and so it's good to read out loud to catch that. Um, but also when you read out loud you can really s-, um, sense the rhythm of a piece and how- and how it feels when you're reading it. So yeah, that's definitely something to do, maybe even with some EXPRESSION!