Inspiration In Locations...

Inspiration is all around us - everywhere we look.  From the streets of London and the architecture that follows, to the rolling hills of the countryside and coastal shores.

So many times whilst driving somewhere I've become lost in thoughts and dreams as I watch the world go by (luckily whilst I've been a passenger and not driving.  That could create a few problems...) and so many times ideas have come to me; locations in my fantasy world have come to life, followed by its history, and I see my characters travelling through or living there.  Inspiration really does follow us everywhere, and when you're looking you can see so much beauty.

So, when you hear the saying 'too beautiful for words', does this ever ring true?

Sometimes.

I was inspired by watching a Top Gear challenge (for those that don't know, Top Gear is a TV show about cars etc etc).  The challenge saw the trio (Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond) venture to Vietnam with 3 run down scooters and bikes, and they had to travel across the country on these, a journey that took them to Halong Bay.  I was mesmerised.  It's so beautiful, and as soon as I saw it, I knew a place like this would exist in my world and in my WIP.  Just look at it!

So with something like this, how can you find the words to describe it and do it justice, to bring across the breathtaking feeling I feel when ever I see it?  It's a challenge.  A challenge that I accept.

So, what places have inspired you? And have you ever found yourself 'lost for words' when it comes to describing it?

Pic of the Week . . . Christophe Vacher . . .

This week, continuing on with last week's theme of 'dreamscapes', comes a newly discovered artist to my gallery. Christophe Vacher . . .

Christophe Vacher is a French artist who's works remind me of something from dreams. He has also worked on backgrounds for animated films such as 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' and 'Fantazia 2000', and has been in talks with Director Shane Acker about the new up and coming film '9' - (as stated on his website).

The piece I've chosen for this week's Pic of the Week is titled 'The Gate'. Does it inspire you as much as it does me?

Ahh, the endless story possibilities . . .

'The Gate . . .' by Christophe Vacher

Pic of the Week . . . Dreamscape . . .

I originally saw this picture on a blog that I follow, and I instantly fell in love with it. It's available to download as a wallpaper but I don't know the artist.

For me, it's a wonderful, relaxing dreamscape that harbours mysterious enchantment. It also breaths life to endless story possibilities, and this made me wonder.

For all you fantasy writers out there, how much dreamscape does your world have? Is it home to enchanting places like this? I feel that by adding enchantment adds history and depth to a world, bringing it more to life and making you feel like you'd rather live there than here. I love it, its possibilities, and its...well...entire dreaminess...

Exercise: Bringing a Setting To Life . . .

I was lucky enough to have a whole week of holiday last week. I spent a week in the sunny West Country known as Devon – even though it was a cheap week because my folks live out there – but none-the-less. We done so much stuff that I can hardly remember any of it, but one thing that did stick in my mind was our drive through Dartmoor. I’m one of those strange people who prefers and appreciates the countryside more than the beach, and for those who are like me I’m sure you’d agree that Dartmoor is a beautiful place.

As we drove past wild moors, littered with thousands of sheep and wild ponies, and rocks and Tors, it really got me thinking about the setting and location of my novel. There’s a section in my story where my two MC’s are travelling across the open plains. Now, I’m ashamed to admit this, but I hadn’t actually put much thought into what this place was actually like. What is there apart from miles and miles of . . . grassy fields? The odd tree dotting the horizon maybe? A rolling hill?

It doesn’t work, does it, and I didn’t realise this until my drive across the moors. It’s supposed to be wild, untamed lands, and I haven’t been pulling it off, so I decided to give it a practice last night, to see if I could bring my lands to life. The exercise was to choose a location in your novel and describe it. This is what I churned out:

Exercise: Bringing a Setting To life . . .

The hill was steep and long, but by the time he made it up to the top it was worth it. The hills were no longer green, but the warm, welcoming shades of purple and yellow, of the heather and the cowslips that blanketed them. Trees dotted the distant hills in gatherings of five or six, their shapes casting individual and interesting shapes against the blue sky.

Behind him, the way he had just come, the hills were levelled and the lands lush and green. The horizon appeared miles away from the altitude that he stood, and he could follow the exact path he had just trekked with his eyes.

The scene in front of him told a different story. The land was rocky, with boulders littering his path. Most boulders were large and obvious to see and steer around, but some hid in the long grass and heathers, promising to make his journey treacherous.

A gathering of rocks sat on a distant peak, piled high as if a man-made structure, but this a natural Tor, and one of many that he was to use as a landmark to direct his way. He was grateful for these Tors, knowing that without them his travels would be difficult. Without them the weeks of crossing the open, rough terrain that sat in front of him would prove fatal, and he would be helpless against being swallowed by the wild expanse . . .


*I got good feedback from this but the one thing I failed to mention was SMELL. This is the one sense that always gets left out, but is an important element to include when trying to bring your world to life. I slap my wrist and promise to use it in my actual writing – but I smile at the fact that I wasn’t the only one to miss it out . . .