A Q&A with the author of Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial, Kieran Larwood!

Author, Kieran Larwood, provided amazing answers to some of our burning questions about his newest title Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial– an action-packed new adventure series!

Where did the inspiration for Dungeon Runners come from? 

It all started during the Covid pandemic, when I was home-schooling my son during lockdown. He was finding the whole situation very difficult, so I suggested we come up with a book idea as a project. We had been playing Dungeons & Dragons with some friends on Zoom, and we had also been very invested in the run-up to the NFL Superbowl, so I decided to put the two together, and came up with Dungeon Runners!

Can you tell us a bit about your creative process – such as your research and your unique rituals or habits – when writing?

If I’m writing a fantasy story, I always take J.R.R.Tolkien’s advice and start with a map. I find this is a really good way to create a focal point for the story. Then I spend a while building up details and characters until I have a setting for the story to take place. I often make sketches and doodles of my characters before I start writing about them, and I like to have a rough plan before I start the first draft. I usually do two or three versions of this until I’m happy.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book? 

I’m not very good at maths, so I found it very tricky to keep track of the points everyone scored and to make sure there was a bit of tension in who would win! It’s also written for a different age range than my normal books, so I was very aware of the language I used and also had to write to a much shorter word count.

What steps did you take to ensure the fantasy world felt immersive and believable for middle-grade readers?

I spent a lot of time building the world before I started writing. I drew maps, created races and monsters, and thought very hard about the sport of Dungeon Running and how that might work. There were several versions of the rules before I settled on the ones in the book.

How did you balance adventure and humour in the story?

A lot of the humour happens naturally when the characters interact, as they bicker and joke with one another. I have also used it to ease the tension or danger points in the story. Creeping into monster-filled dungeons could easily become a bit frightening, so it’s useful to defuse that with a few jokes or a ridiculous situation.

Which character did you enjoy writing the most?

Kit is a lot of fun to write, especially when his dreams of becoming a famous Dungeon Runner clash with the reality of being a tiny team that aren’t even in a league yet. I also enjoy making up his witty comebacks to Breg when he is being bullied. And, later on in the series, I find writing Thorn’s terrible dad jokes very satisfying.

What is the process like when working with an illustrator?

Joe Todd Stanton has been great to work with. We liaised closely with sketches and ideas before he began to do the final pictures, and then I was able to see all the roughs and comment on them. He has brought a whole new dimension to the world, and I absolutely love his illustration style. The finished product is so much better than I could have imagined!

Do you have a preconceived idea of what the characters will look like?

When I began to write the story, I sketched out the characters myself, but they were only rough doodles so I could picture them in my head. Joe’s versions are so much better, and now I couldn’t think of them any other way.

How many rough drafts are completed before you finally decide on the appearance of the character?

I actually come up with the characters before I start writing, and they don’t tend to change too much. Because I spend a lot of time thinking about the story elements before I start writing, I think they are pretty cemented in my head before I begin the first draft.

What do you hope young readers will gain from the experiences presented in your book?

Mainly, I hope they will get swept up in the story and that it will start them on their journey of reading all sorts of other fantasy books. There’s also a strong message of the underdogs working together to triumph in the end, so I hope it teaches them the value of teamwork and resilience. You can achieve anything if you work hard enough!

Read Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial and look out for more titles in the series! Let us know what you thought of this Q&A and if you have any other questions for our authors, submit them to us on our Instagram @nosycrow!

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