Another 'Inspiration Behind the Story'.
First I need to make one thing clear - I hate camping!
In my story 'What Have I let Myself in For' which has just been published in this months Take a Break Fiction Feast, my heroine is still in the stage of her relationship where she will do almost anything in order to prove her worth to her boyfriend. I tried to put myself in her shoes and think of what I would hate to do but would go through in order to please someone I liked at the beginning of a relationship and came up with two answers - camping and horse riding.
What don't I like about camping?
- Wet tarpaulin
- Toilet blocks
- No hair dryer
- No privacy
I could go on, but I won't bore you. Having decided that my heroine was going to have to endure a camping expedition, I though about what would make this experience even worse and that's where the horse riding came in. Don't get me wrong, horses are lovely as long as I they are behind a fence and I don't have to sit on one.
The experience my heroine has while on a trek, is a real experience that happened to me - one of the most terrifying of my life. It was something that happened when I was a student in Plymouth. The only difference is that unlike the girl in the story, I didn't actually fall off my horse after it jumped the ditch but got off and refused to get back on... I was in the middle of Dartmoor. It was only after the trek leader attached my horse to his with a leading rein that I agreed to get back on!
It's has been a good week with two sales to Fiction Feast and one to The People's Friend - this will probably signal a fallow period, so I shall celebrate while I can.
I'll look out for your camping heroine story, Wendy. The newsagent puts FF aside for me so I expect I'll get it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteLoved Ida's Bench in People's Friend Special.
Congratulations on the sales
xxPat
Thank you Pat, that's very sweet of you - I have another in next week's issue and am looking forward to seeing what illustration they've chosen for it. Enjoyed reading your interview on the PF blog - you're lucky to have such a wonderful illustrator.
DeleteCongrats on the sales, Wendy! Will look out for a copy of TAB FF.
ReplyDeleteAs someone with a life long passion for horses, it makes me very sad to think one bad experience has put you off them so thoroughly. But then again, I like camping too! ;-)
I wonder whether a liking for camping and horses go together, Jenny!
DeleteCongratulations Wendy! You're on a roll! I shall slip off to the newsagents now and pick up both magazines! :) Edith xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Edith. My story in The People's Friend isn't out until next week (though I have one in this month's special).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Wendy. It's always nice when you can turn a horrible experience into a story that sells.
ReplyDeleteIt hasn't made me want to get back on a horse though, Julia!
DeleteCongratulations honey xx
ReplyDeleteAt the very moment you were writing this, I was writing a comment on your last blog post - spooky!
ReplyDeleteBrillant news about more sales, Wendy. Well done. I always love hearing about the story behind the story. Will be looking out for it in FF.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kate - there will be another story behind the story next week.
DeleteWell done on all the sales Wendy. I love hearing the inspiration behind your stories too.
ReplyDeleteGot back from hols to an email from JF at TWN... only took 8months, but she still rejected the story.AGH. So it's down to you now!
Hi Tracy. Sorry to let you down but I had same email after one year! Hope you had a nice holiday.
DeleteWell done! The story sound great I can't wait to read it. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne - hope you like it.
ReplyDelete