If they do resolve one, throw in another, like feeding a fire.Īt the mid-point, or the end of the second act, answer the mystery posed at the very start. No matter what the characters do they cannot solve their problems. End each chapter with an unanswered question that adds mystery and danger. It’s not just the story you want to wind up with each succesive chapter it’s also your heroes and the reader!Įverything must feel constantly off balance. PB: Thank you! That’s a great description of suspense. The story was like an automaton that never wound down but just kept ramping up on each successive chapter with a new trick up its sleeve! Do you have any tips for how to create an adventure that keeps crescendoing to the very end? One of my favorite aspects of Cogheart was the pacing. Those are all great ingredients for a children’s novel and that’s why steampunk works so well for young readers.Ģ.

It’s a genre filled with airships, clockwork inventions, steam-powered machines, wonder, marvel, quirky characters, dastardly deeds and daring do. PB: Steampunk can feel epic, swashbuckling and exciting.

Cogheart was the first children’s book I’ve read in the steampunk genre, and it really captured my imagination! Why do you think steampunk works well for a school-age audience? Today I have Peter Bunzl visiting on my blog to talk about the book, give some writing tips, and tantalize us about what’s next for him.ġ. (You can read my review here.) The book has been out for a while in the UK, but it released in America on February 12. 'A glittering clockwork treasure.I recently had the privilege of reviewing an advance copy of Cogheart, a middle grade steampunk adventure by Peter Bunzl. 'A delightfully badly behaved heroine, enthralling mechanicals and a stormer of a plot.' Abi Elphinstone 'A steampunky tale of ambition, pursuit and revenge.' The Guardian SELECTED AS ONE OF THE NATION'S 100 FAVOURITE STORIES TO SHARE (World Book Day, 2018) SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE Too soon Lily realizes that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart. With her friends - Robert, the clockmaker's son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox - Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. Some secrets change the world in a heartbeat. Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo The first in the bestselling Cogheart Adventures series, where mayhem, murder and mystery meet in a gripping Victorian world of fantastical imagination.

Cogheart book cover