The hugely successful author talks to iVillage about herself and her strong-willed heroines

The name Barbara Taylor Bradford has become synonymous with glamour, drama, passion and intrigue. A Woman of SubstanceFrom A Woman of Substance to Where You BelongWhere You Belong, she's kept readers and critics alike spellbound. Starting as a reporter in a small English town at the tender age of 16, this remarkable woman has perfected her craft and her books have sold more than 59 million copies in 39 languages worldwide.

Now get an inside look at the life of this mega-success from the author herself with our iVillage exclusive.

Personal bests

iVillage: Which one of your books is your personal favourite and why?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: My first novel, A Woman of Substance, will always be my favourite. This is the book that launched my career as a novelist and it was the fulfilment of my childhood dream. However, I have another special favourite, and this is my book The Women in His Life. I think of it as one of my best pieces of writing. It is touching, moving, filled with emotion and suspense and very entertaining. Which is what a reader wants from a novel, I believe.

iVillage: Do you ever have a hard time letting go of a character after the novel is finished?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: I have a great deal of trouble letting go of a character, indeed sometimes several characters, when I finish a book, because they have become extremely real, and good friends. I often want to keep on writing the book, but I can't, of course, because of the length and the deadline! I was so attached to Emma Harte in A Woman of Substance, I wrote a sequel called Hold the Dream and then a sequel to the sequel, To Be the Best. By then I was deeply involved with the family of Emma Harte and one day I hope to resurrect them.

Feedback and female authors

iVillage: Do you have a book that you've always wanted to write, but an editor or publisher said no? As a writer, do you have any advice on handling that negative feedback?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: I've not yet submitted an idea to a publisher that has been rejected, but I do know from other writers (who are friends), that this kind of rejection can be very negative, and often affects their future work. I suppose the only advice I can give, if this should happen, is to believe in your work and to keep writing. In other words, if an idea or a book is rejected by a publisher, just start a new one. Don't give up, strike out in a different direction. I have always believed this pays off.

iVillage: Do you have a female author in particular who you admire?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: There are a number of good women authors writing today. I like the work of Jane Hamilton especially. I also love the historical novels of Margaret George. She's one of the best in the business.

The art of the novel

iVillage: When you write a new novel, do you set it out in outline form first or does the story just flow as you sit down to write?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: Before I begin a novel, I must think it out, all the way through, and know the story from the beginning to the middle, right through to the end. I always start with the main character, and build the story and the other characters from there. Once I've thought the book through, I sit down and break it into parts, then detail each part, chapter by chapter. Obviously, when I'm writing other characters, ideas come to me because I have a flow going, but I really do think it out carefully before starting, because I must know the end and I must know the underlying theme of the book. Incidentally, I must also have a title, otherwise I find it really hard to begin. And if possible, I like to know the last page before I start.

iVillage: Where do you go to think when it's time to write a new book?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: An idea for a novel usually comes to me unexpectedly and quite out of the blue. It just pops into my head a with a snap, and it's there. And usually it's a character linked to an idea. But that's only the inspirational part, really. After this I have to think about it for a long time. I often do this walking the streets of New York, where I live, or in London or Paris if I'm there. At other times I simply sit in a quiet room in our apartment and let myself drift down with my thoughts, usually listening to soft music. I close my eyes and visualise the character, who she is, what she's about, what her life is about. Slowly the story grows, and then I really sit down and create the main character, then the plot.

iVillage: When you were writing AWoman of Substance, did you base your characters on people you knew or people who you would like to have known?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: I did not base any of the characters in A Woman of Substance on people I know other than Emma's brother, Winston. He was very much based on my father Winston Taylor. The fictional Winston Harte looked like him, thought like him and had many of his characteristics. Fortunately my father was pleased with my depiction of him as a young man in this role. I enjoy writing about strong women, and that is why I made Emma so strong and resilient. But she is not based on anyone, not even me. I find it much easier to write about invented characters than people I know.

iVillage: What advice would you give to new writers on developing a strong and likeable heroine?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: It's quite hard to advise people how to create strong and likeable protagonists, because we all have different values. I always try to create women who have admirable traits and who also have integrity. I think my ability to do this has developed over the years, and long before I wrote A Woman of Substance, I was attempting novels which I never finished. In this way, though, I learned to build characters by trial and error. My best advice is to settle on an ideal woman and then go from there, building her character using good and bad traits. But, she will only come alive when you start to write the book. And don't forget, she must be very human! Too perfect is not true to life.

Changing people's lives

iVillage: What is the greatest thing that your writing has brought you on a personal level?

Barbara Taylor Bradford: Being a novelist, which was a childhood dream, has brought me immense satisfaction and gratification, in that I am using my creative talents. The success of my novels has given me a sense of pride and pleasure in my work, and knowing that I give other people pleasure and entertainment makes me feel good. According to the fan mail I get, my books often help people solve their own problems, change their lives for the better, or go on to new ventures, and that pleases me as well.