Bank holidays. They're a great day off but, more often than not, end up being wasted around a TV or computer screen. Today though I bought my cork board (a vital instrument for would-be-writers everywhere) and then had a stroll through a local park, which has been enough to get the creative juices flowing. Here are a few photos I took of the place - and only ten minutes walk away from my flat. Not bad.
I enjoy taking photos - it's like painting but quicker. Well, okay, it's not
exactly like painting but it does let you try out compositions, and to get a good photo you have to think about colour too. I've never taken it up as a proper hobby though. Maybe one day. If I can ever bear to add yet another hobby to the list.
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| These ducks were asleep but I think I woke one of them up. |
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| The Geese and their babies being fed by people and their babies. |
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| The park is huge, with a nature trail behind this. |
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| Really like this photo, even with the random man toddling along to the side of the shot. |
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Now I'm off to do some more words and possibly do a bit of "where the hell am I" work on the novel. Not sure if other writers do it, but I've reached the stage where I need to review what I've written (not change it, just review it) and work out where in the world I'm headed. The cork board will help with this as I can write all the chapter headings on bits of paper and put them up to get a view of what's going on. I think some of my characters have made plans I haven't considered yet so before delving in and getting ambushed I want to work out what they might be up to. If that sounds odd you likely haven't tried to write a long piece of fiction - trust me, characters may be your friends but they're sneaky and do things you least expect at the last moment. And it's normally a million times better than what you were planning on getting them to do.
What about you? What have you been doing with your bank holiday? (If you're having one - if you're not then I hope you're day isn't too bad, even though it's a Monday.)
Bah! I had planned to do some walking - or even gardening - but we are covered in rain here, and have been all day. So it *has* been a day in front of the TV and the computer screen. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteAnd to make matters worse I spent most of the weekend working. Now I have a painful wrist - must spend more time away from computer. Sure it's a bit of RSI.
The park looks nice. A joy of England is that even in cities we seem to have a fair amount of large green land. Mr Government take note!
In some ways I think 'created characters' can have as much life as 'real folk'. And if you've written/created them properly their histories will be more complex and full than you are (literally) aware of. You give them life, and off they bloomin' well go - living. It's a way we can empathise with God ;-)
Aw Mike, you have my sympathies. Wet bank holidays are the worst. They're slightly made up for if there are some good old films on TV though.
ReplyDeleteI love the random green spaces you get in towns and cities in Britain. They always seem to come out of no where and you think "how long has this been here?" Really glad my boyfriend knows the area as it meant we got to this park much quicker then we might have.
I agree, the whole fully rounded character thing is a bit like being a deity... I see myself as similar to the Greek gods in that case, throwing an occassional lightening bolt about to create a bit of drama, interfering with the little people's best laid plans just for my own amusement etc. A bit of Hera and Zues combined. Now that's a scary thought...