posted on January 18, 2021 by Mel Teshco

The Story Behind the Story

I often get asked, “Do you ever run out of story ideas?”

Honestly, not in this lifetime. I have so many ideas running through my head it’s more a matter of being selective and choosing what really talks to me. And also what I hope my readers will enjoy, too.

Often the best stories come to me in my dreams.

In my latest series, The Virgin Hunt Games, the opening scene visited me in a dream as I was waking up. The visual was one that I immediately had to write down. Even now I can recall the anger that was emanating from the hero who was standing inside a tower and glowering out at the thousands of people cheering in a stadium around the tower.

I knew right away he was no ordinary man. He was a warrior, a gladiator, about to fight for his life. At the time I had no idea why he was so angry, and why the audience was so roused and excited. But a story soon formed in my head.

The hero, Damon, is out for blood after one of his cowardly enemies killed his father in his sleep. Unbeknownst to that same enemy—who is a hunter in the Virgin Hunt Games—Damon signed a contract to be a hunter, too, with the sole purpose of exacting revenge. (Little wonder Damon looked so angry in my dream.) Of course what Damon doesn’t count on is the beautiful and strong-willed Melody, one of the ten hunted who the hunters have to chase down and pleasure.

I am so thrilled that this one scene created life to not just one story, but five more (with possibly more to come) in the series. And although all of these stories are set inside the tower’s six dangerous levels, those levels change with each story so the contestants never know what to expect. There are different settings and creatures (mostly alien) for my characters to overcome. And that isn’t even to mention the dangers from the other contestants!

To up the ante even more, some of the characters are superheroes or supervillains in their own right. They are the Defectives, aliens with mixed DNA. Though considered outcasts by most worlds, some of them are gifted with unique abilities. I had lots of fun creating their unusual powers. But I won’t spoil the plot, you guys will just have to read the book. Fair warning though, sex is an integral part of these Games. Luckily, in the future, there are no diseases and no unwanted pregnancies thanks to vaccines.

On that note and without further ado (AKA rambling) – here is a little of that opening scene:

Prince Damon Banscott of Saberlynth scowled as he peered out through bamboo shutters from the first floor of the central tower’s holding room, where he and nine other hunters were confined. The sun had long since burned through the chill of dawn, its egg-yolk brilliance pulling free from the uppermost level of the surrounding amphitheater to illuminate a ninety-thousand strong audience. But the full-to-capacity crowd was nothing compared to the billions of viewers watching this latest Virgin Hunt Games from every corner of the galaxy. A Games he had once wanted no part of. How things had changed.

Damon bunched his hands into fists, his heartbeat pounding until it became a dull roar in his ears. There’d been no need for the scouts and officials to blackmail him into taking part in this seventy-sixth tournament, as they had some of the other contestants. Not after Damon learned his greatest enemy, the Zeta assassin Bastion Legada, had agreed to participate.

Damon’s scowl morphed into a hard smile. It was serendipity that he would finally get his vengeance on Bastion…and not receive a death sentence for the trouble. That he might even be rewarded for his violence highlighted just how twisted and disturbing the Games had become. But then, sex and violence always guaranteed high screener ratings.

He resisted a bleak laugh. Theoretically, violence wasn’t allowed in the Games. But he’d still find a way to end Bastion’s life. The Zeta thug had been sent to kill Damon’s father—the late king of Saberlynth—and had succeeded, thus ensuring a Zeta victory in the bloody war that had been raging for nearly a decade between the Saberlynth and Zeta worlds.

I hope you enjoyed the opening scene and imagined it in your mind like I did. I’d love to offer a $10 Amazon gift card to the commentator whose dream inspired them (directly or indirectly) to do something or become someone.

Thank you everyone, and happy reading

Mel Teshco

Mel Teshco

Mel Teshco lives in the beautiful countryside of QLD Australia, where the open spaces of her acreage, fondly called 'the block', gives her room to breathe. When she isn't writing or dreaming of writing, she is often found gazing out the window at the surrounding mountains and thinking how very lucky she is. With one semi-patient husband, three gorgeous girls, one fat horse, a crazy Belgian shepherd and Rotty puppy, along with three cats who run the house, writing has (mostly) kept her sane.

http://www.melteshco.com/

6 thoughts on “The Story Behind the Story”

  1. bn100 says:

    to travel

    1. Mel Teshco says:

      Travel is always a good thing. Did you dream of some distant place?

  2. GB says:

    It is always fun for me to get to know the story behind a story and I also enjoyed your excerpt. Sadly, I am one of those folk who do not recall dreams. On those rare mornings that I wake with the feeling that I had dreamt, any memory of it dissipates. It is like trying to grasp onto tendrils of smoke.

    You are lucky to have had such vivid recall of that scene and that it has been such a great impetus for the series of stories you can spin.

    1. Thanks so much GB I have very vivid dreams. My husband doesn’t recall his dreams either, so I guess I’m lucky (aside from the nightmares lol).

  3. AuntySuzany says:

    I sometimes remember my dreams, usually the ones where the emotions are strong!

    1. Mel Teshco says:

      I agree with this one, if the emotions are strong and affect us deeply we’re less likely to forget 🙂

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