A Goodreads user asked Emily Lloyd-Jones:

Where did you get the idea for Illusive? I've always wondered how brilliant writers come up with such heart-stopping books...

Emily Lloyd-Jones This is a really good question! I can’t speak for other writers, but I’ve always been driven by “what-if” scenarios.

In the case of Illusive, I watched a lot of superhero movies. And as much as I loved them, I had this niggling thought at the back of my head: “These are unrealistic.” And then I started wondering what a realistic superhero origin story would look like. What would really happen if people suddenly had superpowers?

I realized that people who possessed powers would be seen as living weapons. These people would be dangerous and valuable, and governments would be desperate to have them. Such circumstances would create an atmosphere of paranoia—you could never know who is dangerous and who isn’t. The world would be forced to operate under the assumption that every person possesses the potential to be a threat.

There would be no superheroes. Just people who possess powers — and want to survive.

And that’s where the first spark of inspiration for Illusive came from. :)

flag