Amberley Hall (A Harry Styles Short)

An Introduction

1 October 2016

Dear Wattpad Family,

Initially, I joined Wattpad to read, stumbled upon fanfiction and, like so many of you, became hooked. 

The desire to write was always on my ever growing life bucket list but I didn't believe it would come to fruition, mainly because I never really possessed much self-confidence. I over-think, over-worry and over-justabouteverything in my life!

The variety of amazing writers on this site inspired me so much that I eventually took the plunge and during the first six months of 2015 wrote The Beautiful Hummingbird Part I.  This first attempt fell flat initially and I lost my confidence, took it offline and dived back into my ghost reading shell. 

Then the One Direction hiatus was announced and the idea for LifeStyles was born, so in September 2015 I decided to give writing another whirl.  Your support and love of that story is amazing and unwavering and for that I am ever grateful.  It also gave me confidence to republish The Beautiful Hummingbird Part I and embark upon the sequel of the same name Part II.

I left school at 16 and have never written before.  I simply visualise a story in my head then write it from the heart.  When my fellow writers talk their literary lingo I often have to Google the meaning! There really is nothing technical about my writing.  I just adore words and spend most of my days wiling away time in literary dreamland. My only trusted essential is my Thesaurus.

Three things inspire my writing.  Novels tell a story with words and imagination; ballet tells a story with dance and music; music tells a story with lyrics and notes.

As a child, I visited the Bronte Parsonage in Yorkshire, home to Charlotte, Emily and Anne.  The setting and their lives fascinated me, even at my young age, and so much so my daughter is named after two of them! 

Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey were written over 160 years ago yet they still captivate readers today.  The sisters were three strong and imaginative female writers overcoming restraints on woman at the time by writing using fictitious male pseudonyms.  Their stories are direct, fierce and emotional and the content well ahead of its time.

I have a passion for ballet.  Giselle, a story of love, betrayal and tragedy, is my absolute favourite (look for a reference in one of my stories soon).  When my two favourite dancers, Natalia Osipova and Carlos Acosta, performed it at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, I cried buckets, what can I say!

The lyrics of songs greatly inspire my writing.  Take the notes away and the remaining words are essentially a poem.  If we are talking One Direction then examples like Strong, Once In A Lifetime, Moments, If I Could Fly, Home – the list is endless.  It's hard not to sing the tune in your head but if you can master it, it's worth it!

The best gift by far my writing journey has rewarded me is the many writers I have discovered here and who have become good friends.  I shall not endeavour to list you all but I hope you know who you are and how much you mean to me.

One great friend who has been supporting and encouraging me, challenged me to write a period piece. No mean feat, for what started as a weekend's break from my other writing has ended up two weeks later being an all-consuming but wonderful experience.

So I present Amberley Hall - A Harry Styles Short, inspired by both the inspirational female writers of the past who I would have been honoured to have been acquainted with and the inspirational female writers of the present who are scattered all around the world but who every day share their friendship, lives, and love with me.

Most importantly this story is dedicated to PoisedPen  Thank you for the challenge, your love and continued belief in me.

Thanks all for listening and I hope you enjoy Amberley Hall.

Much Love,
LVO, aka Helen x