In 2010 I had the good fortune to travel to northern France where so much took place in both world wars. Since much of my writing is set during WWI, I took particular interest in areas like Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Not only did I want to see where battles occurred but I also wanted to see the towns and surrounding terrain, and find the small details that might enhance my writing. I snapped away with gusto for a whole week.
Lies Told in Silence — the novel I’m currently editing — takes place in the imaginary town of Beaufort. I needed to create a look in my mind’s eye so that every time Helene, Lise or Mariele went into town I could see what they saw. Not only the town itself but also the countryside.
The town needed to be small, with a central square, flower shop, pharmacy, cafe, boulangerie, town hall and, of course, a church. Houses would cluster in the streets off that main square.
As the title says, fuel for the imagination.
8 Responses
Fabulous pictures, Mary. What great inspiration. I am anxious to return to England and see parts of Lincolnshire that I’m writing about though from my research I already know the countryside has changed drastically since the 1190s. I’d also been to Nottingham in 2010 and there’s very little of the Castle remaining – thank heavens for the archaeological research others have published!
I don’t know how you write about such long ago times, Char. Definitely another degree of difficulty on the research!
So with you there, Mary! It was an unforgettable experience to be where my characters were in France and Britain during WW1. My family loves coming along on my research trips!
Bringing family is a real treat, Gabriele. The 2010 trip was a birthday gift from my hubby to moi! And while we were there, one night we roughed out an outline for another novel together over a great bottle of red wine and some delicious French food 🙂
Looks like wonderful inspiration for the imagination. So your next novel picks up Helene’s story from the first?
Actually Lies Told in Silence begins in 1913 Paris. It’s the same Helene and Edward appears but the story is so much more! I call them intersecting stories rather than sequels 🙂
Sounds intriguing.