Crafting Fanny The Fairy: The Character Of Fanny
The world of Fanny The Fairy is inspired by a real place called Lough Hyne in Ireland. When I explored it in 2021, I was taken aback by its beauty that felt otherworldly to me. On a warm summer day (or as warm as Ireland can get, let's be honest here), the hedges lining the narrow roads create the impression that one is walking toward something magical. The shades of greens and deep reds evoke emeralds and rubies knitted perfectly into nature itself. The large trees overhead form a canopy, cocooning visitors within what feels like a sanctuary. Birds fly and sing above, as though offering a magical welcome to a place meant to linger in one's memory.
As I quickened my pace toward the Lough, my thoughts began to wander. I wondered about those privileged enough to call such a place home, and about the countless lives that had stepped and lived there over centuries. It was during that walk that the first seeds of Fanny’s character took shape in my mind. Fanny started, quite simply, as a bird.
As I moved closer to the water, I found myself questioning what I was truly seeing. Could the birds overhead be more than they appeared? Could they, perhaps, be fairies guiding lost souls toward brighter paths? I had visited Lough Hyne during a particularly difficult period in my life, and the thought brought comfort. I began imagining the birds shifting form. No longer small feathered creatures, but luminous beings with human-like figures and vast wings. After all, humans often dismiss what feels too fantastical to be real.
When I lifted my gaze to the bright blue sky, I no longer saw birds alone. I envisioned fairies with radiant yellow eyes, glowing like the sunlight. From there, my imagination deepened. Who would they help? When would they intervene? Gradually, Fanny herself emerged. Her purpose, her gentleness, her quiet mission becoming clearer with every step. I imagined her as one of many fairies bound to a specific place, entrusted with guiding those in silent despair. Adults, however, were not the right recipients of such magic. Too often, adults lose their childlike openness as they grow older. And so, Fanny’s calling became centered on children. Those who needed her most, even when they did not yet realize it.
Something I knew for sure was that I did not want for Fanny to descend dramatically from the sky in every chapter. The repetition would diminish the impact of her arrival. Instead, I chose to let her live her own daily life within her enchanted world, meeting the story’s main characters naturally, within their own environments. This approach allowed readers to meet Fanny organically, to observe how she adapts, listens, and gently intervenes.
After all, the book is named after her. It felt only right that her presence unfold with quiet magic rather than spectacle.