Where I Write...

Writing is a lonely business...or so I've been told. That hasn't been my experience, so far. Authors are a social and supportive bunch, keen to boost each other when they get chance. This often includes sharing each other's blogs, and one of the topics I read about frequently is "Where I Write". It's a fascinating insight into what makes your fellow writer tick. Writing spots vary from an antique desk and chair with real paper and pens (imagine!) to a laptop on the dining table (the original working-from-home), purpose-built annexes with glorious sea views to a mobile phone on a bus (I kid you not!). I started to think about my writing spot.

Over the last couple of Covid years, much of my day job has had to be conducted at home, so I've repurposed the converted attic room (which daughter #1 conveniently moved out of a little while before) into an office/creative space...a Me-Cave.

Plenty of room for my books, family photos, a fan, two screens (one for writing, one for research...or Facebook...or Twitter...) and room to pace up and down when I need to stretch the limbs a bit. There's a lovely view over Cardiff from the window, but there is a downside. It gets full sun in the morning, so when I need to see what I'm writing without losing my retinas, I'm very grateful for the blackout blinds.

I was thinking about this while out on my early morning walk, and realisation dawned. This isn't where most of the writing happens at all. Sure, this is where the words find their way onto the page, but it's not where I discovered that I knew what was going to happen to Gianetta. It's not where I realised who the traitor in Palazzo Rosini was. It's not even where La Volpe introduced himself to me, unannounced. No, that happens elsewhere. That all happens in my head, while I'm out walking, especially in the early morning. The gentle rhythm of footsteps on the path, the birds flitting in and out of the trees, the silence...a perfect environment for plot knots to iron themselves out, or for my characters to try out their dialogue. All this happens almost subconsciously, except now that I've put it into words, it'll probably feel very different.

Recently, I asked HisNibs what he thinks about while we're walking. (At 6am, we usually enjoy a companionable silence!) His reply? Cars..!

So, I'll retreat to my little corner of Renaissance Florence at 6am in the morning, where I'll dream up what's going to happen to my characters in book 2. Who shall I include alongside my own characters? Michelangelo? A fair bet. Machiavelli? Interesting. Savonarola? Now, there's a character to get your teeth into! Of course, they all need to fit into my world...or do I need to fit into theirs?

What of book 1, I hear you ask? What is happening with The Rose of Florence? When will she be released into the world? Well, I am hopeful that I will have news of this soon, so watch this space.

In the meantime, I'll walk along the country path, dreaming of launch events, seeing my book on the shelf as I browse my local bookshops, being a real author..!