More than two decades since Mortal Engines was published, Philip Reeve revisits that world with his new release, Bridge of Storms. But how did he get here? And why does he keep going back to that world?
Name: Philip Reeve
Based in: Dartmoor, in Devon
What genres/subgenres are you drawn to?
Science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction (and mixtures of all three)
The Book: From Pen to Print
What was the genesis of this book? Where did you get the idea from?
It’s 25 years since my first novel, Mortal Engines, was published, so I’ve been revisiting that world in a series of stories about new characters in the same setting. Bridge of Storms is a sequel to the first of them, Thunder City.
How many drafts did you go through before you felt it was ready to query? How long did that take you?
It was written in a slightly different way to my other books. I usually get them as close to finished as I can before anyone sees them, but this one was still a fairly loose second or third draft when I sent it to my editor. I’d spent four or five months on it at that point, but I did a big rewrite later which probably took as long again.
Did you work with beta and/or sensitivity readers? How did you find them? How did you incorporate their feedback?
I often ask help from friends with a bit of technical knowledge, or experience of particular places—the world of Mortal Engines is deliberately fantastical, but it’s nice to keep a tiny toehold in reality. I don’t usually make them read the whole thing though, I just ask them about specific elements.
What would you like us to know about this book?
Bridge of Storms is the most Mortal Engines-y of the Thunder City sequence. Back when I was writing the original quartet I toyed with the idea of building a whole book around a single, non-stop city chase, but I had too many characters and plot threads to make it work until now. Also, I’ve taken the idea of Stalkers to a logical conclusion in this one (but I won’t say what that conclusion is because spoilers).
Your writing process
Are you a plotter or pantser or somewhere in between? How do you do your first draft?
I set out with a few vague ideas for characters and things that might happen, and of the sort of landscape they’ll inhabit, and then just start writing. It’s a very haphazard process, and lots of early attempts get binned before I have a complete draft which I can start to edit down into something readable.
How do you approach writing? Are you the type of writer who needs to treat it like a job? Is there a particular time of day you find best for you to write?
Once I get into the editing and proof-reading stages it’s absolutely a nine-to-five job. The earlier stages, when the book is taking shape, can be a lot more airy-fairy and a lot of time is spent staring into space or wandering the moors waiting for ideas to come together.
Geek out about stationery: do you use a notebook? A specific type of pen? Or are you computer all the way?
I mostly write on computer these days, but there’s always a notebook beside it for jotting down ideas, and sometimes a few scenes get written in longhand. I’m not fussy about stationery though—in fact, a nice notebook can be a drawback as I don’t want to spoil it by writing in it.
Where do you work? Do you have a comfy, creative space at home or are you someone who has to grab the moment wherever it comes?
I have a studio in the garden, but the dog likes it better if I sit on the living room sofa with him.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
Silence.
Do you have a writing ritual?
Habits, yes, but no rituals.
Where can we follow you / find out more about your work?
- Website: philipreeve.com
- Blog: philipreeveblog.blogspot.com
- @philipreeve1 on Twitter/X
- @thesolitarybee on Instagram
- @philipreeve.bsky.social on Bluesky
- Or search for Philip Reeve on Facebook
