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Author Q&A with Martin Stewart

Sandy Fin: Operation Splash Landing

1. How did you first develop the idea for Sandy Fin: Operation Splash Landing? Where did the inspiration come from? 

I’ve featured the sea and the coast in everything I’ve written except The Wild Huntsboys – water and the changing atmosphere of that liminal space seems to be very important for my imaginative process! I’d always wanted to write something where the seaside itself was central to the characters and the action, and Sandy came from discussions with my publisher about what to do next after the fourth Bridget Vanderpuff book. 

My childhood holidays were definitely important in terms of fostering this love of the sea. During the Second World War, my grandmother was evacuated to the Isle of Arran in the Clyde estuary – right off the coast from where I live now. We went there every summer, and my brother and I spent the whole time outside, climbing over the rocks, hunting for crabs and creatures. I’ve chosen to live by the sea with my own family, and like nothing more than eating breakfast on the beach with my children, then going for a clamber on the rocks!

I was also inspired by some of my favourite books, particularly Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book, and (my all-time favourite) John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. These bring the coastal setting to life so vividly – the smells, the sounds, the strange objects and drifting, salty piles of seaweed, and I had always wanted to bring that to life in a fun adventure for children. Sandy’s world took shape during a very fun process of dreaming and planning: his home in the attic of a run down museum, the ice cream shop, the mysterious island, the animals… I loved that playful part of the process. 

2. Describe the character of Sandy Fin. What qualities does he have as a character? 

Sandy is impetuous and brave, ready to dive in first and ask questions later. He’s got a great mind, but lives in a very physical world. He has silvery scales on his elbows and knees with which he can feel the movements of the sea – but he doesn’t know where these come from, or why he has them… 

He’s inspired, in part, by Indiana Jones – I wanted that slight sense of chaos, of the story running through and around him and him being brave (and reckless) enough to throw himself into the problem. Sandy has a strong moral sense, and loves his home – and his family and friends. He’s very loyal and dependable, constantly hungry, and will do anything to protect Portwhistle and its animals from harm, including bending the rules just a little!

3. The story has a range of quirky and unusual characters, including a walrus named Frumpus. How do you come up with the ideas for the characters in your stories? Do you have a favourite character? 

I am fond of Frumpus the Grumpus Walrus, who’s my son’s favourite character. But – apart from Sandy and Lily – my favourite character is Captain Lufty, along with his HatRat, Barry (the rat who lives in his giant hat). They’re so fun to write for, and also appear in Bridget Vanderpuff. As a reader, I love those points of crossover between series, and it was great fun seeing the Captain drawn by a new illustrator. 

The process of creating characters varies. Sometimes they pop into being, fully formed, as though they’re a real person straight away. Other times, the story needs a certain type of person, or a particular role, so I play around and think about who they could be. Stories are hungry things, and you have to feed them what they want!

4. What is your favourite part of the story? Can you tell us why? 

If I can have two (cheeky, I know) I’ll take:

– The confrontation with Rear Admiral Straker on the Pleasure Sloop, because he’s so mean and fun to write. He’s inspired by Quint, the ship’s captain in my favourite film, Jaws! I love writing villains – a good villain should be slightly over the top, and take themselves so seriously that they become even more ridiculous, which punctures the balloon of their evil pomposity.

– The denouement where Sandy lays out the case and confronts the baddie. These are always so fun to write, and I love tying up the clues from all the chaotic fun into a neat explanation!

5. Are books an important part of your family life? Do you share your stories with your own children? 

Very much so! We read every day together. My kids are aged eight and five, and they love Jacquline Wilson, Pamela Butchart, Dog Man, Investigators… stories matter a lot to us. I talk to them all the time about my books, asking them questions and telling them about new things I’m working on. They’re very engaged with my work. Bridget and Sandy are very present figures in our house, which is something I really love. 

6. Sandy is similar to another well-loved character in your books, Bridget Vanderpuff! Both being brave, with a strong sense of morals. How difficult is it to craft characters for your stories? 

It was really important that Sandy be distinct from Bridget, who’s a very strongly defined character. That moral core, and tremendous courage, had to be manifest in a very different way. Bridget is much more of a note-taker, a tactical thinker, while Sandy is a jumper-inner – feet first and figure it out as he’s going!

I really love crafting the characters, and don’t find it difficult insofar as I enjoy the process and have patience for it. The characters emerge as they talk, and as I subject them to stresses and challenges and see how they react, like carving them out of marble. 

7. The illustrations by Sandy Gutierrez throughout are a real treat for readers, especially the map at the start of the book. How do they help bring the story of Sandy Fin to life?

I absolutely love Santy’s work, which has brought Sandy’s world to life with amazing energy. The expressions on Frumpus’s walrus face, they villain’s contraptions, the wee starfish in the corners of the page, all of it adds to the feel of the book, and captures some of the outlandish action perfectly. I’d always imagined having my ideas illustrated in this way, and it’s even more fun than I’d hoped. 

8. Which part of the story do you think is the most important and why? 

The relationships between the characters. That’s what makes the story come to life and makes us care about what happens – it’s where all the humour comes from. Sandy loves his mum and his mentor, Emile, and his best friend, Lily, is like a sister to him. 

While Sandy jumps straight in. Lily is more of a thinker, and is more sensible than he is! She’s great at making connections and spotting things Sandy misses while he’s throwing himself into new situations. They make a great team because they balance each other out, they challenge each other – and they make each other feel confident and happy. They love animals, they love Portwhistle, and they love each other. 

9. What would you most like readers to take away from the overall story and characters? 

That it’s important to love our world, to spend time outside engaging with it, and that people are everything – the love between my characters reflects the love we have for the people in our lives, and there is nothing more important than that. 

I’d like readers to be encouraged to visit the seaside, take pictures, sketch and draw, look at things you find there – really look – and touch everything that’s safe to touch! Feel the textures, smell the smells, close your eyes and feel the breeze on your skin. If you can capture those feelings, and put them in your stories, your characters’ adventures will feel even more real and magical. 

10. Can you give us an insight into what is next for Sandy Fin?

Absolutely! Next up is Sandy Fin Mystery of the Phantom Diver. When the morning watchman, Skip Breakfast, spots the sinister figure of the legendary Phantom Diver on Portwhistle beach, the village is thrown into turmoil. Strange piles of sand are appearing on the beach, and the Diver’s fabled curse seems to be coming to the village. Can Sandy and Lily track the diver down and find out what’s really going on, before it’s too late? 

This is spooky fun, with new characters and a great new seaside mystery!

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