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| One of several writing spots in my French home. |
In my experience, where you write has a direct relationship with how and what you write. Try writing in a boring, uncomfortable, confined space and you’re likely to inject that mood into your writing. Which is fine if you’re writing a dark book, perhaps a horror or thriller, but not remotely helpful if, like me, you write passionate, evocative, colourful, inspiring romance.
I am lucky enough to have two homes, one in ‘the garden of England’, Kent, England, and the other in the south of France. In and around both homes I use many locations for my writing. Here I share four of my favourites in the hope they can inspire you to think creatively about where you may set up your laptop or notepad and get lost in your literary world.
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| I like to sit on this bench in our garden in Kent. |
Home is where we feel most relaxed, and often writing at home is easier in terms of slotting in writing time around other commitments. Making a dedicated writing space at home also signals clearly to your inner muse and to others that you are taking writing seriously. Many writers feel the need for a degree of quiet and isolation when writing, and I am certainly one of them, so I recommend taking over a private space, if possible. The main criteria for the space are light, warmth and a view – especially a view, to gaze at when thinking. In my home in France my desk overlooks the Mediterranean, and I often find myself lost in its ever-changing colours.
The garden
When weather permits, I like to get outside. The scents and sounds and fauna of my gardens are rich sources of inspiration. Plus, if you’re going to be a writer, you may as well make the experience of writing as fun as possible. Many of us spend at least some time each week stuck in uninspiring surroundings like offices, typing away at computers. Going out into the garden is like crossing a boundary into a place that is inherently more creative.
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| A lonely beach near my French home. |
If writer’s block is plaguing you, change the scene. Walking and daydreaming often helps lift a block. Take your writing implements and settle on a park bench or a flowery field or atop a hill and remind yourself of the immensity of the world. For me, a favourite spot is a quiet beach.
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| I love to take in the lights of Ste Maxime. |
Sometimes, you need to be amid the buzz of life in order to write. People-watching is essential for finding ideas and developing characters. Cafés are ideal spots for writers – pick a corner table, take out your notepad, sip your drink and watch the world go by. I especially like to choose a pavement café on a warm afternoon, and if a slice of gateau should happen to be placed on my table by a dashing waiter while I’m there, so much the better!
Thank you for the great inspiration, Hannah! Want to know more about Hannah's book, Burning Embers?
Title: Burning Embers
Author: Hannah Fielding
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Genre: Romance
Format: Print/ebook
Length: 282 pages
Blurb: Burning Embers is a contemporary historical romance novel set in 1970s Kenya. It tells the story of the developing love and passion between Coral, a naive, young English girl returning to the place of her birth, and Rafe, the handsome but tortured womanizer to whom Coral is inextricably drawn. It's a story of long, hot African days and sultry nights; of slumbering beasts and awakening desires; of intrigue and darkness; of journeys beginning and ending; of growing up and letting go; of falling in love, and following your heart.
Author of Burning Embers and romance novel reviewer
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Oooooooo the garden. Good idea.
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