By Eeva Tudor
Before Christmas, I was lucky enough to be able to meet the brilliant author, Jack Meggitt-Phillips, when he visited as part of his book tour for the latest installment of The Beast and The Bethany series. It was an exciting opportunity to hear directly from him about his writing process and the inspiration behind his books.
The Beast and The Bethany is about an old, selfish man named Ebenezer Tweezer, who inhabits a body much younger than his 500-year-old mind. Ebenezer lives with a beast—a hideous, dangerous creature that resides in the attic of his mansion. The beast has the power to grant wishes, but it asks only one thing in return: it feeds on the youth and vitality of others. Each time it consumes something, Ebenezer becomes younger, while the beast grows more monstrous. The plot begins when Ebenezer, tired of his old age and selfishly seeking more youth and luxury, decides to use the beast's powers to continue his comfortable lifestyle. However, things take a turn when a new twist is introduced into his life—he is forced to care for a young orphan girl named Bethany, who disrupts his plans and starts to change the dynamics of his life with the beast.
The story combines humour, mystery, and moral lessons about greed, responsibility, and the consequences of selfishness. It is often compared to The Witches by Roald Dahl, in its mix of dark humour and adventure. The book also explores themes like friendship, bravery, and selflessness. It’s one of those books that’s not just a fun read but also leaves you thinking about the messages it conveys. I really enjoyed how the author blended his perfectly dark humour with important lessons, making it an engaging yet thought-provoking story.
When Jack visited the school, he told us all about how he develops characters. His main top tip was to always start with an idea of your character’s greatest flaw and build around that. For example, Ebenezer is a greedy and selfish man. Jack explained how a character's flaw can drive the plot and influence their actions throughout the story, which was an interesting way to think about writing. It was really inspiring to see how thought and planning goes into creating a character with depth and motivation and really pays off in the end. Another piece of hilarious advice was to understand exactly how your character laughs. That’s right, how they laugh. Do they laugh, really loudly or quietly? Is their laugh deep or high pitched? Is it closer to a guffaw, or a cackle? All of these things, apparently, can help you understand who your character is.
Jack also shared what inspired him to become an author. He said that when he was quite young, he read Matilda, by Roald Dahl. So many of us have read and loved this timeless story, but surprisingly, Jack wasn’t inspired by Matilda. No, he was inspired by the terrifying Miss Trunchbull! He said that what really captivated his imagination was the idea that he could create a villain just as horrifying and wicked. In his opinion, villains are the most fun to create because of how dastardly you can make them, and how brilliant it is to understand just what makes them tick.
Overall, meeting Jack Meggitt-Phillips and learning about his writing process was an unforgettable experience. The Beast and The Bethany is a fantastic blend of humour and heart, and it’s clear that the author has put a lot of thought into how he wants to create a story that is not only entertaining and unique, but also meaningful. The book is a perfect example of how a well-written story can teach important lessons while still being fun, and I’m excited to see what Jack will write next!
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