The single most common question authors get
asked by readers and interviewers is where we get our inspiration. This is such
a difficult question to answer without leaving the person who asked the
question no more informed than they were before speaking with you!
Inspiration is everywhere…snippets of
conversation, news articles, TV programmes and movies, your experiences/others
experiences, places, history. I could go on and on J
Let’s start with one aspect at a time…
Setting
This is where the majority of my stories
begin taking shape in my imagination. I love visiting new and old places when
looking for that new story idea. I’m lucky enough to live in one of the most
beautiful parts of the UK. Wiltshire is rich with history, phenomenal
countryside and beautiful villages. On top of that, I am just a thirty minute
drive from the famous Georgian City of Bath.
There are so many places to inspire me from
the churches and cathedrals, to the tiny hamlets hidden away which are bound to
hold secrets. I love wandering around Bath and thinking of the many, many
generations of people who have lived in this wonderful city and the struggles
they faced and conquered. Look around and ask yourself, “Who lived here?” “Who
fought here?” “Who fell in love here?” “Who lost a loved one here?” And then
ask yourself, “Why?” “Who?” “How?”
Soon, you’ll have the start of an idea…
Characters
This is a difficult one for me – many
writers start their stories with the character, especially in romance. This
rarely happens for me. Occasionally, I hear a voice or a line of dialogue and
have to find out who said that and why. It usually turns out to be the hero or
heroine––although, other times it has been a secondary character shouting to be
heard.
I start finding my characters by trawling
the Internet for pictures of famous actors or models. Usually one of the faces
catches my eye and ‘speaks’ to me. I’ve found my character. After that, I
complete a full character sketch looking for their story. The sketches usually
produce the characters’ Goal, Motivation and Conflict. After that, I have to
start plotting…
Plot
Once an author has the hero and heroine’s
(also villain’s if you have one) GMC, the plotting begins to formulate. I try
to make the hero and heroine’s goals conflict to provide solid obstacles for
them to overcome during their journey and romance. The most important element
of any storytelling, and the thing that must run throughout the book, is the
characters’ internal conflict/their biggest fear or point of pain. Once you’ve
established this and know it will be difficult for the characters to get past
whatever it is inside them that’s
holding them back, you have your plot. Everything revolves around finding a way
for these characters to grow and change. That is your plot. Everything else is
used to colour your story.
What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree?
I’d love to chat!
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