FINDING MY VOICE: Louise Forster

 

Finding My Voice: Louise Forster

 

Too many years ago, I started writing children’s books and had them edited by freelance editor, Danielle Ellis. She enjoyed them, said they were good and worth pursuing to find a publisher.

I fixed the edits, put a package together and sent them off. I had a few nibbles, but in the end I received nice rejection letters.

Danielle said my voice had a sweet romantic style and suggested I try writing romance. I quickly discovered that I loved it. I enjoyed taking the characters along a journey of my making. Now and again the secondary characters took up too much space and I’d have to draw them back into line; this is something I still have to do. Overtime, I learnt that my voice was fun, quirky, but when the scene called for it, poignant. Then came the sex/love scenes. I thought, right, I can do this too. Put two adults together, and let them explore each other…fully. J

Watching people, or couples in whatever circumstance, often shows me how others interact, from young love to the elderly couple still holding hands as they walk along a path. Lovely. I wouldn’t say my voice has changed over time, but by listening and paying attention to my inner voice, it’s just better, stronger. I also read as much as I can.

About six months ago an idea formed and feeling like a change of pace, I went with it. I love reading fantasy, and as the idea wouldn’t go away, I decided to write a fantasy romance. I finished the second draft and it was time to print it out and edit on paper. It sat on a little writing table in the living room for over two weeks. Every time I walked in I’d look at it. I’d walk past it, eyeing it over my shoulder, like it was a spiteful thing that was out to get me. So what was wrong? Why couldn’t I get stuck into the editing? But more to the point, why didn’t I want to? One day as I glanced at the manuscript in passing, I had a light bulb moment. The voice wasn’t me. Bugger!

I had people read it and asked for an honest opinion; they all loved it. They wanted to know the publishing date so they could tell their friends.  All the while I’m thinking, but…but…hang on. I tried to explain to them what I thought and they just looked at me as if I’d grown another head. Okay then, my next problem was, how am I going to salvage this story so that it works for me?

Within a few seconds I had another light bulb moment. The fantasy set in ancient times, using appropriate language, was holding me back. I decided to have the two main characters arrive from our era, with our language, and have them dumped in a fantasy world where they feel totally out of place. I can’t wait to get back to it and make life really interesting and difficult for my unaware characters.

The working title is Aurelia, she’s resting while I finish the sequel to Home Truths.

 

 

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