Ask the Author: Marcia Maxwell
Answered Questions (2)
Marcia Maxwell
I first came across Isabelle's story when I was working on my PhD dissertation. It struck me as unusual that a woman would receive time and attention in a history of England written by a man (her son, Edward III) and I thought about writing a scholarly biography of her but since our daughter was breadloaf size at the time there was no way I could travel to England and France to do the necessary research. And so the story slept quietly until the movie "Braveheart" came out. My husband and I were discussing the movie on the way home when I told him that the movie was great, but none of it having to do with Isabelle ever happened. I then gave him a thumbnail sketch of Isabelle's life, which he opined was "interesting." I then started thinking about writing a novel. And now, 15 years later (that's not a typo) Isabelle's story is out for all to read and enjoy.
Marcia Maxwell
In my experience, the best thing about being a writer is continually having my imagination populated by characters who take on a life of their own. They live, they breathe, they talk, they argue--and I get to record what they do. I can't tell you the number of times I've tried to fall asleep at night only to have my characters insist on having their say first, which is why I always keep a small notebook next to my bed.
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