Q&A with Steve Wallis

 

 

 

Steve Wallis is the creator of the audiobook Hannah – The Soldier Diaries. He is based in the UK.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Hannah – The Soldier Diaries, and how did you come up with your characters Hannah and Jack?

A: The inspiration for  Hannah – The Soldier Diaries was in part, drawn from my grandparents, and particularly my grandmother, who used to tell me stories of what it was like for her to be living and waiting at home with my mother for my grandfather’s safe return from World War II. 

 

Weeks and months would pass by without any correspondence from him, leaving her not knowing if he were dead or alive, no “I’m doing ok” text message back then. 

 

I decided that this sense of not knowing would become a central theme of my story. Although Hannah is set relatively modern day in 2012 and technology has significantly moved on, Hannah still had to go through that raw emotion of not knowing whether the person she loved, Jack, was still alive. (Jack was missing in action). 

 

My relationship with my wife was also a wonderful source of material for the audiobook, in particular the theme of class, with us coming from “different ends of the street” as they say. Although Hannah is classified as fiction, there are many truths in the audiobook which have been drawn on from our many years together.

 

In terms of the character names, when I was writing for these characters, I had to visualise what they would look like and in the main the names kinda just materialized. I guess it’s that thing where when you see or meet someone you often think, oh they look like a Jack or they look like a Hannah. 

 

Having said that, I’ve always liked abbreviations for names, for example “Mr. T”, so I used something very similar for one of my characters, “Mrs. M”, which is actual short for Mrs. Martindale. The only name I used in Hannah that is actually based on someone in my close family is John, which was my dad’s name.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Hannah and Jack?

A: There is an immediate connection and attraction between Hannah and Jack, which is summed up in the first song in the audiobook, "Butterflies."  Hannah gets that "Butterflies" feeling in her stomach the moment she sees Jack.

 

This feeling quickly moves into a strong attraction and ultimately they very quickly fall in love. This love is enduring but is quickly overtaken by  the feeling of loss and hopelessness, as Jack has to leave to fight in Afghanistan and before long they lose contact with each other.

Whilst Jack is away, Hannah is supported by a character called Mrs. M, who starts out as one of Hannah's clients in her hairdressers and then in effect becomes a mother figure to Hannah who provides emotional support during Hannah's darkest hours.

For background, Hannah is a 20-something, single, attractive, emotionally strong and independent young working-class woman who works as a hairdresser by day and studies for an Open University Geology Degree in the evenings and weekends. Hannah’s dream is to be a geologist in her hometown of Scarborough.

Hannah is “happy go lucky” in the main until one day she meets Jack…

Jack is a 20-something twin, single, handsome, affluent and a Lance Corporal in the British Army. Jack is preparing for his first active duty assignment but before he goes he is carrying out recruitment duties in Scarborough where he meets Hannah…

Mrs. M is a 50-something widow, highly fashionable, highly confident, and highly flirtatious who enjoys the company of gentlemen slightly younger than herself.  Mrs. M is Hannah’s number-one client, confidant, and stand-in mother figure.

 

Q: How was the music chosen for the audiobook?

 

A: The initial idea was to create 11 songs which collectively told a story, so "Butterflies" is the first song which tells of those moments when you see someone you are attracted to for the first time, with the final song being "After All Is Said and Done" which gets us to a point where this particular book closes. 

 

I then decided to add dialogue to the idea, which embellished and enhanced the story I was telling, and so the audiobook was born.

 

In terms of the actual music choices, I tried to ensure that each song reflected the tone and emotion of each chapter in the book whilst ensuring the songs moved the story, which I think they do. The overall outcome, though, is an eclectic mix of songs (which is very much in line with my own musical tastes) from pop to rock to ballad to rap.

 

Q: What do you hope listeners take away from this production?

 

A: My hope is that listeners will enjoy the audiobook as much as they did the Stage Musical Version, which debuted in its home town of Scarborough April 2024.

 

This production, although not entirely unique, has been produced in a similar way to the fantastic Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. The book starts with narration followed by a song  to move the story along to the next chapter.

 

I guess it’s like a theatre musical production but without having to go to the theatre. Having said that though, it’s not a recording of a stage version. This production has been created very much for the audiobook audience. 

 

Also, whereas audiobooks can be relatively long, this audiobook is 100 minutes long, again in line with a stage musical. 

 

I think some listeners will like this, in the sense that they can hear a whole story potentially in one sitting or listening.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Volume 2 of Hannah - The Soldier Diaries will be a continuation story as (spoiler alert) Volume 1 doesn’t fully resolve. The format will be the same with 11 chapters and 11 brand-new original songs. Volume 2 will complete and resolve the initial Hannah story, although Volume 3 will be out in summer of 2025.

To compliment and support the Hannah Audiobooks, a second stage version will be produced in the summer of 2025 in our home town of Scarborough.

 

In addition, we have just completed a short film version of Hannah, which we intend to use as a pitch for funding to make the full-length feature film based on both the first two Hannah Audiobooks.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I wanted to write and produce a quality piece of work, and I know quality as in the quality of the writing and songs can be subjective, so what I mean by quality is the quality of the recording of the audiobook.

 

I wanted to make sure that the narration was clear for the listener to listen to, make sure the songs and vocals were in tune, and that the volume levels were consistent with no uneasy and awkward gaps. I think I have achieved that.

I also wanted to produce something that is a little different in terms of a product. I know what I have produced is not totally unique but there doesn’t seem to be too many like it.

 

There is a song in the audiobook called “Funk IT,” which is, as you may imagine, a one- or two-fingered salute to all those people who tell you how you should live your life. I think it’s extra fun as it comes from the perspective of a more mature woman, which gives it extra sentiment.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb