Kevin Wignall: “I immediately thought it was a great idea for a story.”

Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel? 

KW: When the Malaysian airliner, MH370, went missing, I immediately thought it was a great idea for a story. I kept thinking, what if those people are still alive somewhere out there? It was so tragic and such a mystery (it’s never been found) that I was certain someone else would beat me to it – thankfully they didn’t!

What character do you most relate to and why? 

KW: Tom. My central characters are always really just versions of me, so I see the world in much the same way Tom sees it. That said, I’m not quite as unfriendly as Tom is at the beginning, but also not quite as heroic…

Why do you feel young adult books are so popular and have such a voice right now?

KW: Maybe it’s because there’s such a focus on storytelling, and that’s been lost in a lot of adult books. So it’s probably no surprise that I love reading young adult books as well as writing them.

Please describe the content of your latest book and what can readers expect from the read. 

KW: When We Were Lost is the story of a plane that crashes in the jungle and only the nineteen teenagers in the tail-section survive. They soon realize that the plane was way off-course, and that no one is coming to rescue them, but as well as needing to battle a hostile environment, they also have to deal with conflicting egos and simmering rivalries if they’re going to survive.

What’s next for you in the book world? 

KW: I have a new adult book, The Names of the Dead, coming out next January, and a new young adult book coming soon. I also have a few movies in development which is exciting to see.

What’s your favorite writing method that you follow for inspiration? 

KW: I usually have a small idea or piece of inspiration (like that airplane vanishing over the ocean) and I’ll think about it and build it in my mind over months, sometimes even years, writing almost nothing down except odd random notes. Then once it’s all in place in my head I sit down and write it in a blaze of activity (usually about six weeks).