Oh, The Places We Go….
I am elbow deep in research to create my fictional world, Magnolia Isles. One of the coolest parts about writing fiction is bringing things to life. Not just characters, but the actual locations in which the characters interact.
My life changed when we moved down south. I was introduced to so many new things. New trees, new flavors, new football teams, new flowers, new paces. Everywhere I looked, I could find something new to marvel at. Fast forward over 4 years, and I still marvel at this wonderful place we live.
In building out Magnolia Isles, I really want to sprinkle in some things that I truly adore. I’ll take a little from here, and a little from over there and grow something brand new for my readers to experience.
And yet, the idea of having some “real” baked in will also allow my readers to, perhaps, travel to a new place someday and experience some of the things for themselves. With that in mind, I’ll share a little from the other night.
Sundays are date nights for my husband and I. We lost no time checking out a few different places, making notes, and taking pictures.
We walked into one of our favorite date night locations and were immediately greeted by the delicious aromas of steak. This particular restaurant serves my favorite Parmesan risotto and has super intimate seating—perfect for date nights. Something else that they have, which we truly appreciate, are familiar faces. They do not seem to have a high turnover there, and we just love that on so many levels.
Our after-dinner walk took us past this adorable little Inn, with charm written all over it. Wrought iron balconies bedazzle the building. Charming table-and-chair combos adorn the courtyard. They have an adorable “pub” with a tiny bar and intimate seating, which is perfect for small gatherings.
We did our usual loop past the lighthouse and library while we held hands under the stars. It was a super lovely date night, and I was sure to capture all of the peaceful, precious, and silly moments of the evening within my research notebook. Never fear, the conversation that was happening at the table behind us where the sole topic seemed focused on toe-nails of all things, will not be making a cameo in any books that I write—I hate feet. But possibly the very animated woman in the bright orange sweater may be a character in one (or many) of the scenes…who knows?!?!
When I sat down for writing time both yesterday and today, the vivid pictures that came to mind for some scenes easily flowed from my mind. I think a lot of people only ever picture me at the keyboard plugging away…but the truth is—the more time I spend in public places that have charm, ambiance, interesting people, and occassionally yummy food, the more inspired I am.
Infused with new creative energy, I can easily dip into the writing flow. No—I don’t need these things to perform. I’ve been a professional writer for years now, and I know how to show up on the page when the time comes. My outline helps me keep focused and make progress. But taking time for creative rest is incredibly important and helps me refuel.
Magnolia Isles now has its first fully written and described restaurant. I wonder what I’ll call it? (Just kidding, I already know the name—fancy a guess?)
