Writers are often asked where the inspiration comes from, and obviously a great deal of it is due to an overactive imagination! However, once one has the outline of a story, all the ideas have to be organised into a logical sequence, and that's when I like to take a walk to get the story straight.
I have just returned from a week's holiday, where I was determined not to do any work, so I left the computer behind, didn't pick up any emails and just switched off for the week – only to come back with ideas for three new stories all jostling for supremacy in my head! So this morning I set off to walk from home down into the valley. After a weekend of torrential rain, the morning dawned bright and sunny up on the hill, but the valley was filled with cloud, like a huge milk-white lake.
It was lovely to walk in the clear sunshine, then to drop down into the mist. The ghost-like images will feature in a book somewhere, I am sure (and just to reassure you I do wear a high visibility jacket when walking on the roads int he fog - the poor drivers have enough to do following the winding hill roads without having the peer through the mist for almost-invisible walkers!)
I have just returned from a week's holiday, where I was determined not to do any work, so I left the computer behind, didn't pick up any emails and just switched off for the week – only to come back with ideas for three new stories all jostling for supremacy in my head! So this morning I set off to walk from home down into the valley. After a weekend of torrential rain, the morning dawned bright and sunny up on the hill, but the valley was filled with cloud, like a huge milk-white lake.
It was lovely to walk in the clear sunshine, then to drop down into the mist. The ghost-like images will feature in a book somewhere, I am sure (and just to reassure you I do wear a high visibility jacket when walking on the roads int he fog - the poor drivers have enough to do following the winding hill roads without having the peer through the mist for almost-invisible walkers!)The walk to the valley is about a mile and I find it a good time to sort out story-lines, plot ideas or just to wrestle with some of the fine detail. I especially love it at this tim
e of the year, when the leaves are turning to gold and the moors glow almost orange in the sunshine.
e of the year, when the leaves are turning to gold and the moors glow almost orange in the sunshine. So now, walk done, I had better get back to the writing!
Have a happy autumn.
Sarah Mallory/Melinda Hammond.
Have a happy autumn.
Sarah Mallory/Melinda Hammond.
5 comments:
Lovely romantic photos! I wish I got ideas in such lovely places - mine seem to strike when i'm drivng
Having ideas when driving is difficult, Louise, unless you have a recorder with you! I find I get lots of ideas travelling - that was the problem with the holiday, lots of driving through lovely scenery on Exmoor. It conjured up any number of ideas, but I had to hold them all in my head until I could get them onto paper (yes I still use a pad and pencil quite regularly!
All I have to do now is to transfer them to the PC
Beautiful photos, very atmospheric, - I love a walk for inspiration.
Thanks, Jane, I wax quite lyrical on lovely mornings like today. Find stormy days better for working on the villains!
I love the pictures, Sarah. Yesterday as I walked past our local park I saw that there was a lovely layer of low mist hanging just about the grass. It was so beautiful I wish I had my camera.
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