Fi Phillips

Many of the books I've read over the years, in fact the ones I've enjoyed the most, have been fantastical. They have been peopled by cyborgs fighting for their freedom, time travellers and fairy folk. Their characters have journeyed between dimensions, fought monsters and defeated aliens. Some have been fantasy stories and others have been science fiction (my preferred genres). On occasion, I've dipped into horror novels and quirky contemporary fiction. What all of these stories have done well is to create worlds where the fantastical elements do not detract from convincing me that these characters are authentic, feeling, living beings. In the novel I'm writing, magical powers are an accepted part of society and yet Steve Haven still finds himself shocked by what he finds - a man who can travel miles by using a door, any door, to transport himself to a separate building, a woman with magical healing powers and children who can create light orbs. What earns his accep...

One of the main incentives for starting this blog was to use it as a companion to my novel writing - a way to discuss thoughts and ideas as they arise through the creation of my novel, talk through progress and think up answers to any problems that I may come across. 'Split' is the first of a series of fantasy novels. The world of Split is a version of our future when society still doffs a cap to religion but the main culture is based around technology. Magic also exists in this world but after a supposed terrorist attack is outlawed. The idea for 'Split' started out as a Tolkien-esque fantasy story that featured wizards, angels, elves and monsters. I toyed with the idea for many years, even completing the novel in this form. I still have the original typed manuscript. Still, it never felt right or complete. A couple of years ago I got the idea to set my novel in a future world and what had been titled 'The Crystal Prince' became 'Split'. Suddenly the st...