As with all my books, my latest, Echo and the White Howl, involved a considerable amount of research. I have not ever been to Alaska (alas), but nonetheless I had to find out a great deal in order to generate a convincing, atmospheric, dirt-under-the-paws level of realism for the novel.
For a start, I had to learn a great deal about wolf packs and their habits. Everything from how cubs are raised, to how lone wolves are sometimes adopted into other packs. Mating, digging dens, pack pecking order, territoriality and hunting were topics I studied extensively in books, online and in documentaries. Much of this provided useful information with which I could punctuate the narrative.
Regarding the issue of hunting, how a pack take down large and small prey proved particularly instructive. There are a number of hunts in the story at key points, some of which coincide with vital character development moments, so it was important to get these details right. For example, following a hunt, the pecking order in a pack determines the order in which the wolves feed, with the Alpha male and female first, and so on. Having studied this, I was able to generate drama around post hunt feasting in the very first chapter, with certain wolves resentful and envious of others, setting up conflicts to come.
I also researched a great deal about Alaska itself, especially the wilderness where these wolf packs reside. Everything from the kinds of trees to flora and fauna were looked into, although I tried not to overdo the references in the novel itself. After a certain point, landscape description just becomes tedious. Indeed, I had to trim it back in earlier drafts.
Another key element woven into the story are the seasons, including perpetual sunlight and perpetual darkness, depending on the time of year. Again, I was able to use this to my advantage in the story, as the amount of daylight proves significant in a key moment at the end of act one.
Other animals had to be researched as well, including Orca whales, eagles, bears and racoons. Originally all four species played a key role in the story, although in the end the Orca subplot was cut as I considered it too outlandish. In the final draft, these whales do appear briefly, but only in passing.
Finally, the most fascinating thing I learned in my research – which didn’t have a direct bearing on the novel – is just how unfairly reviled wolves have been throughout the centuries, and how they have been needlessly and cruelly hunted down by humans, when in fact they pose no significant threat to us. Where wolves have been deliberately reintroduced into the wild, such as in Yellowstone Park for instance – entirely ecosystems have radically recovered as the balance of nature has been restored in an extraordinary domino effect. Check out this short video here.
Echo and the White Howl is a thrilling animal adventure for all ages. Click here for your Kindle download or paperback copy.
Simon Dillon Books 
You must be logged in to post a comment.