In the beginning – where my story
inspiration starts
My stories
always begin with a single image in my head. I see a picture, and then as I see
that picture I feel the emotion of the scene.
Illicit Love
is inspired by the memoirs of a real 19th Century courtesan. When I
read her story, I think it was the emotion expressed in her words which
presented a picture in my mind’s eye.
I saw a
woman, looking across at a young man, I felt how she was physically drawn to
him, his looks attracted her, and she felt a hot, burning longing suddenly, yet
there was pain inside her too, and a dead feeling. Edward’s and Ellen’s story
unraveled from there.
The image
above isn’t even in Harriette Wilson’s memoirs, so it isn’t her story, but then
anything can stir the images in my head which go on to become a new plot for a
book. The opening image of the book I’ve just begun working on was inspired by
a Lady Gaga song. She was even singing about the opposite sex to the image her
song suddenly threw into my mind.
Authors all
have different inspirations, but I know there are other people who start a
story with a single image.
Several
years ago, when I’d first begun writing with a determination that one day I
would have a novel published, I visited Lyme Regis in the UK. There’s a small museum there, commemorating the author, John
Fowles, who wrote, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, and of course, this story was
spun from the image he had of a woman standing at the end of the old harbor
wall, as the skirt of her dress and her shawl blew sideward on the harsh sea
breeze. From that picture, he crafted the story which had led her there.
Oh, I could
share with you so many images hanging in my mind’s eyes, just waiting for their
story to be written, but I shan’t because that would spoil the surprise when
these books come out ;)
In the words of
Harriette Wilson, the real 19th Century courtesan, who inspired
Illicit Love, and then - and then - and then…
If you
read, Illicit Love, I value feedback, so please leave a review on Amazon or
Goodreads, or any other site you like. You can also let other readers know what you think
on the Illicit
Love Book Club page
I hope you
enjoy it.
Thank you
for this chance to speak about how my stories begin.
Best wishes
Twitter
https://twitter.com/JaneLark
Ellen Harding longs to be free of the life she is trapped in - her husband died at the battle of Waterloo
and her family disowned her and now she lives under the reign of a cruel protector. When her eyes are
drawn to a beautiful man for no other reason than his looks, she imagines escaping her chains for a
night by giving her body to him – to a man of her choosing – even if only to infuriate her captor.
But Edward Marlow is kind and gentle when he touches her and her subconscious whispers that this
man could save her. Yet how can he help her when she has secrets which prevent her ever being free.
She has too many battles to fight.
Edward is restless, lonely and a little angry with his lot in life – it is his only excuse for being drawn to
another man’s mistress. The woman’s dark hair and pale eyes are striking and he cannot take his gaze
off of her while she watches him over the top of a fan with an illicit intent in her eyes. But once he’s
known her he cannot forget her - and once he’s seen how brutal her protector is, how can leave her
with the man? But she will not run anymore than she will speak of her past, so how can he help her…
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