Finding acorns

Sense of place

'By selecting and highlighting aspects of the setting, and using the power of words to evoke atmosphere and sensations, writers can bring readers closer to the action and provoke responses in them.' - Gary Disher

Disher goes on to say:

'Skilful fiction writers can evoke settings in such a way as to signify the feelings and personalities of their characters.'

 

Evoking a sense of place is my favourite element of creative writing. Even as a reader, the novels I connect with most (Salt Rain and The Lambing Flat to name a few) have a strong connection to place. The authors of these novels would fall under Disher's definition of skillful writers' because the setting reflects the personality of the characters.

Beyond that, good setting is represented using all the senses and selective detail, making the reader feel like they are in that place and it's the most natural setting for the characters. 

Novel research

For this reason, I'm a huge fan of novel research and field trips. This week I've been getting back to nature (again!) and rediscovering the setting of my first novel. Here are the places my research has taken me:

Fossicking on the Moreton Bay foreshore

 

with my daughter (a buddy writer!).

 

Visiting my local council library, second hand book store and the Wynnum Manly Historical Society 

 

 searching for specific details, historical context and natural history.

Of all my discoveries, I'm particularly drawn to understanding the botanical names of flora and fauna. Perhaps my two years of high school biology wasn't completely wasted!

Connection to a place

While research can form the basis of creating a sense of place, I believe you need to have a connection to a place in order to write about it. It may not necessarily be a place you have lived in, but it needs to resonate with you in some way. Perhaps there's a childhood or family history connection, or it could be a new place you visit that you fall in love with. 

When you bring that resonance to your writing there's an open curiosity to explore that place in more detail and really get feel for it's landscape - across all the seasons. It's also a place you'll probably want to visit again, which can only strengthen your knowledge (and writing) of that place.

Drawing on memories

The reason I write about coastal towns is because I've lived in these areas most of my life. Even when travelling through Europe, I followed the Mediterranean coast.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are the sound of the waves rolling onto the shore at night, collecting cowrie shells on the shoreline from Pottsville Beach to Hastings Point and swimming, fishing and shucking oysters off the rocks in Pottsville Creek. I'll never forget the salty, metallic taste of fresh oysters as they slide down your throat. 

Beyond these experiences, there's an understanding of the composition of a coastal community and how it differs to urban or rural life. Perhaps that's why writers are often told to - 'write about what you know'.

5 writing exercises to get you started:

1. Write about the world around you
2. Write about your favourite season
3. Write about your environment
4. Write about local history
5. Travel writing.

Quote reference: Disher, G (2001) Writing Fiction: An Introduction to the Craft, Allen & Unwin, NSW, pp 133 & 134.

Welcome 2012!

For someone who wasn't going to set any New Year's resolutions, I have an ever growing list of things I'd like to do this year. 

Thanks to a lovely blog post by Susannah Conway, I too chose a 'word' for 2012. It's a tiny word, with a big intention - FUN. 

After a bleak last half of 2011, I'm looking forward to brighter days, which is why I resisted New Year's resolutions and the weight of expectation they bring. 

Instead I'll be travelling more (to places relatively near and hopefully far). And lucky for me, creative writing falls under my definition of fun too!

Novel writing

I have a couple of unfinished manuscripts that I'd like to work on again. My untamed first novel set in one of my favourite places - Stradbroke Island and my 'Nano' novel. They both need a lot of work but I'm keen to tackle them.

Nature writing

As if that wasn't enough to keep me occupied this year, I've also added nature writing to my list of fun things to explore.

My interest in nature writing came from a combination of sources: Mark Tredinnick's book The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir, researching Moreton Bay for my first novel, Inga Simpson's recent WQ article - Coming to grips with nature and my morning walks along the bay.

I'm fascinated by the relationship between landscape and narrative; character and place, which is why I'm keen to learn more about nature writing.  

Unlike previous years, I'm going to go it alone. No writing courses, no workshops, just writing.

Of course I'll be blogging about all things writing here and I have a little design re-vamp coming soon. I'd love to hear about your writing experiences too.

What are your writing plans for 2012?

Revisiting my first novel

After weeks of not being able to write creatively for personal reasons, I’ve finally had a breakthrough. It feels great to have my fingers tapping on the keyboard again - committing words to the page and exploring new story angles.

What’s more exciting is that I’m revisiting my first novel (yes - the one that forced me to start this blog two years ago and the one I’ve been writing for more years than I care to admit).

I’ve written before about elements of my story that aren’t working and how difficult this rewrite will be. Most of all, I've questioned if my first novel is salvageable.

I often refer to my first novel as 'my training ground' - the place where I learnt and grew as a writer. I always knew I would come back to it because it’s a story I want to tell. I just didn’t know it would be this soon...

But recent experiences have opened my eyes to new possibilities for this story that I can’t seem to let go of. Not being one to quash the creative urge, I’m pursuing it. 

I know it’s not an easy task. I dive into my first novel again with only five pages of information. It contains the important things: intention, premise, characters, setting (a personal favourite), plot points (exposition, middle, climax and ending), POV, themes and symbols, tone, research required and experiences to draw on. No unnecessary clutter that would only confuse the story.

The rest I’ve archived and stored in my memory. Some characters have been cut and there's a major story change. I thank my recent writing class with Trent Jamieson for that.

Wish me luck as I delve into my first novel again. I’d love to hear from anyone else revisiting a first novel or archived manuscript.

Feel free to share your tips for approaching the task of a rewrite in the comments section below.