Five questions for Laura Bridge

The Tangled Web is a middle-grade science fiction novel set sixty years after the destruction of the internet. Writer Laura Bridge shares where she found the inspiration for her story and explains how the idea became a novel.

Follow Laura on Twitter

What is your writing routine?

I wish I had one! I wrote the Tangled Web as part of my Writing for Young People Master's degree from Bath Spa University and found the advice (and deadlines) from the tutors so helpful. Before I wrote anything, I spent a long time gathering ideas, creating characters and plotting the novel from start to finish with post-it notes. The story changed quite a bit as the ideas developed but it was so useful to have a structure. I wrote at least one thousand words every day in a very rough first draft and then went back and worked on a section at a time until I was happy with it. The system worked well — I will do it like this again next time.

What was the inspiration for your manuscript?

Science! I read some amazing facts about how the binary data that computers use can be stored on seeds, which was a perfect seed for my story. I grew up without the internet (I’m that old!) and I wanted to explore the pros and cons of life with and without the internet. I thought that a setting where the internet had been destroyed would be fascinating. I wanted my main character, Olive, to discover a place where the internet had survived so readers could experience the internet for the first time through her eyes.

Who is your favourite character in your book?

Tough one. I have to say Olive and Sim because they’re my protagonists, but I really love them all - even the less lovable ones. I try not to write about ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’ because I think everyone has a bit of good and bad in them and lots of things can influence which side of the line you fall on, on any given day! One of my favourite characters is Mary because she has had a tough life and a lot of her poor behaviour comes from the difficult experiences that have shaped her. I also love Olive’s gran, Emmaline, a dark horse with some pretty big secrets.

Describe your book in four words.

Internet. Adventure. Family. Secrets. 

‘Get to know me’: Describe your perfect day.

Dog walk with my miniature schnauzer, Otto. 

Brunch with friends. 

A few hours of really productive work. 

Fun afternoon activities such as crazy golf or an escape room.

Cake and a cup of tea to keep me going until…

Dinner with my husband and two sons followed by a film or board game. 

Reading in a bubble bath then bed!