An Unexpected Inspiration

What is the spark that ignites a story? In a previous blog I have described the one that set me on the path to writing my latest novel, The Case Against Fili Du Bois: a sign on a church wall that said Baby drop-off. Ages up to 3. And I thought... what if a child was dropped off and never fetched?

But what about the very first spark, the one that inspired my debut novel, The Housemaid's Daughter?

It came from my Irish grandmother who inadvertently sowed the seeds for the plot while teaching me to play the piano - and thereby launched my future writing career. She loved to reminisce. Sitting by her side, I learnt more than the names of the notes and where to place my fingers to make a tune. I learnt about her history. She and my grandfather had left Ireland to make a new life in a small rural town called Cradock, in the semi-desert Karoo of South Africa. Her memories stayed with me, and many years later I started writing a tribute to her. I planned to circulate it within my family but then thought: why don't I add a fictional housemaid? Soon, Ada, my fictional heroine, began to take centre stage and I realised I was writing a novel... 

It took 8 to 10 years of writing, research and rejections, but finally The Housemaid's Daughter was published. It became a bestseller and was translated into many languages as you can see from the photo above. 
So, to all those aspiring novelists out there, find that spark!
You never know where it might lead...