‘Running‘ by B.B. Taylor is a fast-paced action-packed thriller. Readers will join Mairi, a young girl with a mysterious past. Mairi has been running her entire life, but she doesn’t know why or from whom.
In this exclusive Q&A, we talk to B.B. about making her YA debut, how she was inspired by slick and stylish TV shows and movies, balancing action with emotion, and whether the events of ‘Running’ could ever happen in real life!
Let’s start simple. If people don’t know, can you give us the elevator pitch for ‘Running‘?
Running is a bit like The Bourne Identity meets Dark Angel for a younger audience. Mairi is running from her past, but she has no idea why. It’s time for her to stop and find answers. No matter the cost.
‘Running‘ marks a departure from your previous work in children’s fiction. What inspired you to write a darker, more action-packed YA novel?
I actually started writing Running many years ago as one of my first ever full-length ideas. I just hadn’t quite gotten to the point where I was been brave enough to explore the darker side of my writing as much as I do now. I love it when I read a story and I can close my eyes and see it playing out like a movie and this was what writing running was like for me.
The story centres on Mairi. She’s a young girl with a mysterious past who has seemingly been on the run her whole life. Where did she come from as a character?
As with most of my writing I never quite know, the stories tend to come to me as a sentence or a scene that I follow down the rabbit hole, never quite knowing where it’s going. Growing up on TV shows like Dark Angel and Dollhouse, I think they inspired a lot of the themes and characters I’ve built.
You’ve said above that Running was inspired by novels like The Bourne Identity and TV shows like Dark Angel. Why do you feel people who love media like this will enjoy your new book?
I hope it gives the feel of those sci-fi thrillers from the 90’s that had us hooked and waiting for the next instalment. I want readers to be able to see themselves as the characters and enjoy the thrill of the action and adventure in the story.
Mairi’s journey is an action-packed thriller, but it still feels very grounded thanks to Mairi herself. How do you feel readers will relate to her? Do you think Mairi’s story will connect with readers who are grappling with their own struggles with identity?
I think no matter what age we are, being ourselves and finding out who we are can be one of the hardest journeys we will take. I hope that readers can see sometimes it’s ok not to have all the answers and that it can be scary to find out who you are, but you’re often stronger than you know.
The story is very much a thriller with lots of twists and turns, but Mairi’s emotional arc is still the main focus. How did you balance these aspects of the story, whilst giving real depth to Mairi as a character?
I think without her emotional arc, readers wouldn’t be able to connect with Mairi on the same level. The action is needed to keep the pace, but the emotional aspect is what helps the reader become invested in Mairi and her outcomes: the horrors she begins to remember gives her the drive and the determination to uncover the truth and face her demons.
On that. do you have a favourite line of dialogue that sums up Mairi perfectly?
‘Control, it was such a simple word that had such an impact throughout my life. Control over my life, the control others had over me, the control I had over others. Control was power and power meant survival. I’ve always been a survivor, somehow, with no other choice than to take control. But it wasn’t what I wanted, none of this was what I wanted, I wasn’t strong enough for any of it.’
This for me sums up the battle Mairi faces with herself and the battle many of us face when we feel out of control in our own lives.
As you’ve primarily written for younger children before, how did your approach change when writing for a YA audience? Were there any challenges in shifting to a more mature and darker tone?
I think it’s more freeing because you can push the boundaries further in so many ways. I love writing for younger children but there was something exciting and liberating about being able to explore the darker side of my writing.
You’ve built the world of Running to include secret government programs and themes of conspiracy. What kind of research did you do when first plotting out the book?
I’m not one really for research usually I tend to go with what feels right and wait for my editor and other readers to let me know how they feel about it. I think sometimes you can focus so much on research that you forget the voice and the character you were trying to build. I can always add facts and research in later but the voice of the book is always my priority.
Were there any real-world influences that inspired parts of the story, or the shadowy organisation that Mairi is involved with?
I think the world can be a dark and scary place at times but I’d hope and pray that there is no reality to what I’ve written, or we’d really be in trouble!
Again, no spoilers, but are there any specific plot twists or revelations you’re particularly excited for readers to experience?
That’s a hard one, but I’m hoping there’s a few surprises in there for readers!
Finally, what message or feeling do you hope readers will take away from Running once they’ve turned the final page?
I’m hoping they come away excited and eager to have an adventure of their own (just hopefully not as dangerous as Mairis).