Monday 16 July 2012

Fate and writing opportunities


I just got back from an unexpected break to the lovely seaside town of Barmouth in Wales. I say unexpected as I was meant to go on Saturday but we had horrendous flooding in Shropshire which initially prevented the trip.  However, after several more incidents with our cars which were eventually resolved, I still did not want to miss out on the opportunity.  Later in the day I rang the hotel who were prepared to switch the booking to the following day when the floods had subsided and the roads were open again.

It was incredible as from the moment we parked up in Barmouth, we saw this  wonderful display of kites and balloons on the beach.  It was amazing and the child in me could not be dragged away for some time.  

The wonderful thing was that in that short space of time I was so inspired by what I had seen, I had to run to the car and start writing ideas down straight away. 

It was a very short break away but I came back with an idea for a book and several ideas for magazine articles.

Sometimes, I believe that fate does come into our writing opportunities.  These balloons disappeared very soon after I had seen them as the weather started to turn and people were going home. If I hadn't got there when I did, I would never of seen them.

It really is about grabbing every opportunity that comes along. Whether it's planned or unexpected, fate can play a part in what we see and how it inspires us to get writing. 





Tuesday 3 July 2012

Finding inspiration within your own family




I have just been for a short break to Oxford. I love visiting the colleges where all the great writers have been, it's so inspiring. Above is Merton College where TS Elliot attended for a while. I walked past the stunning park area and wondered if he got inspiration for his writing here.

The picture to the right is inside the stunning Magdalen College. CS Lewis taught here. I could almost imagine him sitting at the top table at meal times, perhaps thinking about Narnia while they were tucking into their lunch!

Below is the passage that contains the song room.  Andrew Lloyd Webber also attended Magdalen for a while. I stood here and wondered if he gained inspiration for any of his work right here?

 



( Emma and Herbert Partridge with my great uncle George and aunt Dolly)

On the way down to Oxford I wanted to visit one of my ancestral homes.

 In the beautiful village of Church Hanborough I found the cottage where my great grandmother and grandfather Emma and Herbert Partridge lived.  When I found it I couldn't believe that I was actually standing outside this same cottage which has hardly changed in over 100 years.

It was the most amazing experience and one that has inspired me the moment I got back to research even more into my family history, talk to people and write it down.

I find it so wonderful  that it does not always have to be the famous places or people that inspire us, sometimes we may find something a little closer to home within our own family history that can spark the desire and inspiration to write.