This week at Gatehouse…

Murray Fisher Inspires Our Budding Writers

This week, pupils enjoyed an inspiring author talk with Murray Fisher, writer of Underlings: The Spark Engine. Murray spoke about his journey as a storyteller and creative, sharing how his experiences as a film producer, illustrator, and musician all connect through the power of imagination.

He gave pupils a fascinating insight into the life of an author, explaining that much of his day involves “thinking time” — developing ideas, imagining new worlds, and shaping characters. Murray read an exciting passage from Underlings, introducing pupils to Evan, a determined young heroine, her robot dog Jet, and the underground city of Lode where the story is set.

The talk explored key elements of storytelling, including:

• The Hero’s Journey – how many well-known stories (from Harry Potter to Moana) follow a similar pattern of adventure and challenge.

• World-building – the importance of creating believable settings by considering details like food, rules, smells, and sounds.

• Character creation – why heroes need strengths, flaws, and fears to feel real and engaging.

Murray also discussed the real-world research behind his book, from underground cities in Turkey to bunkers in Essex, and encouraged pupils to ask “What if…?” when sparking their own story ideas.

The session ended with a lively Q&A, where pupils asked about inspiration, the challenges of writing, and the role of robots in his story. Murray reminded everyone that stories grow from curiosity, imagination, and persistence — and he challenged our pupils to take away his “story ingredients” and create their own adventures.

Some of the pupil’s questions included:

• How long did it take you to write Underlings: The Spark Engine?
  It took around two years. Even experienced authors usually take at least a year to finish a book, as writing and editing are long processes.

• Have you written any other books?
  Yes — I’ve written several other stories, but Underlings is the first to be published. Some of my other stories are just ideas waiting to be developed.

• Why did you decide to become an author?
  A friend of mine wrote a book, and it made me realise I could too. I’ve always loved making up stories, even when I was younger than you.

• Is it hard being an author?
  Yes, it can be. There are lots of people writing books, so it takes hard work to get noticed. Writing also means spending a lot of time thinking, planning, and editing.

• Where did you get the idea for the underground city?
  I was inspired by real places. I researched underground cities in Turkey, bunkers in Essex, and even underground towns in Australia. Then I imagined what life would be like if people had to live there permanently.

• What inspired you to create robots in your world?
  Robots are useful because they’re powerful and helpful, but they can also be unpredictable. That makes them exciting to write about!

• How many hours a day do you spend thinking about stories?
  It depends, but usually one to two hours of focused “thinking time” each day. Thinking is just as important as writing.

We are grateful to Murray for his time and inspiration!