Jane Wenham Jones suggests ways forward for a writer who wants to use a real life as the basis for fiction
Iused to work at a day centre for the elderly and one of theladies, who had a strong personality and a wicked sense of humour, loved to relate snippets from her amazing life story. When I left the centre, I started to write a story based on all the wonderful tales this lady had told me. However, I came unstuck when trying to tie all these tales together in a readable form. I couldn’t imagine the characters she shared some of her life with, which made it difficult when trying to include conversations. I did research on the area and the time in which she lived, but all the information I gained just made me more confused about what I actually wanted to write. I just gave up in the end.
I would love to hear any suggestions you may have please, as I still feel the need to giv e this story another go.