This story recounts how Jane, a girl from rural Pennsylvania, finds herself a glamor photographer in New York City. Jane's love is painting, but she finds herself needing to use photography to earn a living. "Early Years" takes you from Jane's rocky start, to a number of supportive girl friends who help her through her first few years in her job, and how she becomes the notorious Scorpia, Queen of Metal.

"Early Years" is a prequel to the story Jane, by the same author, and details how Jane meets Deanna, Zsuszana, Maria, Isabella, Ann, Heather, Mary Ellen, and Stephanie Johnson, who are central figures in the earlier novel, until the tragedy that results in Maria being estranged from Jane. There are no villains in this story; instead, it describes how circumstances are enough of an antagonist, so that it is heroic to merely survive and be decent.