So I need to stimulate my imagination and break down the walls confining me. Not an easy task since some of those walls are self-imposed. For instance, if I'm to write about England, the book needs to be set between 1750-1850. That's just how my head works. So I have this fun idea tickling my brain for the 1750s near Bath, which is undergoing a huge transformation into a tourist attraction and center of aristocratic society. But of course, my warped imagination wants to deal with a rural village some distance from town. I resist towns.
And I'm bored with conflicts built out of money and social status and I'm not particularly fond of spies. Now think about it--what historical romances have you read recently that doesn't have a foundation in one of those subjects? Yes, a talented writer can make any conflict immensely interesting. But I need the conflict to interest ME. Not that I'm self-centered or anything, "G" but a book can take several years of my life. It ought to entertain me while I'm writing it.
Here's the challenge: if I have a squire's daughter and the younger son of an aristocrat, both independent of their families, neither of them poor or rich, neither of them interested in titles, what can I use to keep them apart? What would interest you? We can give them conflicting goals, or tormented pasts, or dark secrets, or... I need to brainstorm away the cobwebs!
4 comments:
Well, I think in cliches, and you do not write in them, so I don't know what help I can be… . BUT, when they meet he thinks she is spoiled and seeking money; she thinks he is self-centered and cruel; because each has seen and misinterpreted an action they have overseen. The keep meeting with the prejudgments in mind and … . (And I know, sounds like "Pride and Prejudice;" but if it helps you, you'll write your own story.
The first question in my mind is, what do these two people do that allows them to be independent of their families? Do they (gasp) work at something that gives them an income? If so, then maybe their conflict could have something to do with that. Which would be external, of course, but you have to start somewhere.
Sue, you're completely right that an author should be able to take any cliche and "own" it. I love the P&P story and I'm rather intimidated about attempting to better Austen, though!
I think I have some working internal conflict, so external triggers are an excellent place to start. And actually, I'm thinking of using property, which is just as cliched as money and title, I know! They're both property owners, which makes them landed aristocracy, even if they're not wealthy. I'm just daunted at how limited external conflicts can be in historicals these days!
Start someplace simple. Right-of-Way. The Brits get VERY incensed about right-of-way, people being allowed to cross properties because of centuries-old roads, valuable animals being accidentally let out (and perhaps preferring one place to the other, so a valuable horse or cow keeps going back?) Standing stones that one of them is defending from a superstitious rector could also cause some fun.
I suddenly could see a ton of misunderstandings growing out of two independent people (and this suggests property for him -- if not, they would run him out of the aristocracy, yes?) defending "their turf."
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