Tag: Bath

The Creative Well: Part 2. Paloma.

The Creative Well: Part 2. Paloma.

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I am a huge Paloma Faith fan and there have been many times I’ve turned to her music for inspiration. On occasion, lyrics have triggered thoughts that led to me solving plot problems in my novels, and I’ll quite often play particular songs from her albums to set the mood and tone of the scene I’m writing.

Paloma is one of the artists I would travel miles to see and hear perform live.

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Our trip to Bath at the end of November was built around a Paloma gig at the wonderful art deco Bath Forum. As soon as my friend and I arrived and parked the car, we went in search of the Forum, only to discover the car park was right next door. The crew was unloading the lorry with the instruments and set and there was a part of me that wondered if we’d see Paloma enter the building.

The Forum Seats 1800
The Forum
Seats 1800

The gig was outstanding – beautifully crafted, with endless energy and excellent musicianship from Paloma and the band, delivered with humour, passion and emotion, all of which drew me in. I admire Paloma’s creativity and her ability to connect. For me, she achieves in the music world all that I strive to achieve in the writing world.

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Once again, a plot problem I’ve been struggling with was resolved by listening to Paloma, only this time it wasn’t through the lyrics of a song, but in her funny and chatty link to Ready For The Good Life. I’m trying to work out why this happens. Is it because we both write about romance and relationships?

How have your plot problems been resolved?

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We didn’t see Paloma enter the building, but I live in hope that I will one day meet her to thank her for helping keep my creative well topped up.

Did I mention I’m a huge Paloma faith fan?

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In my final part of the mini series, I’ll be taking a look at a recent TV drama that has my mind buzzing.

Take care.

Laura x

 

 

The Creative Well: Part 1. Bath.

The Creative Well: Part 1

Welcome to the first in my mini series about The Creative Well.

Bath, preparing for its Christmas markets.
Bath, preparing for its Christmas markets.

This is a term I first came across having joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and it was quite possibly one of my fellow Choc Lit authors who drew the phrase to my attention.

Having spent an intense few months nurturing Follow Me Follow You, writing short stories for anthologies, and attempting to complete the first draft of book 3, I reached a point where my creative well needed refilling. Normally I would turn to books for that injection of inspiration, but I’m so deep into my draft and so fully invested in that fictional world, I’m avoiding entering others.

Last week, a friend and I took a trip to Bath, a beautiful Somerset city, full of history, grace and elegance. I had never visited before and was keen to look around.

The Pump Room

On our search for the Roman Baths, and much to our delight, we discovered lots of stationery stores. I wondered if this was down to Bath’s literary connections, but didn’t question it beyond that, enjoying ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the glorious array of pens, notebooks and pencil cases.

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We struggled to locate the Baths, expecting signposts to point our way and for the entrance to be obvious. A kind cyclist took pity on us and gave clear and precise directions. Once we reached the building, we were told all the signposts had been taken down … We didn’t feel quite as daft after that.

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The Baths are fascinating and inspirational, and if you ask me what a strigil is, I can tell you. I learned the difference between Turkish and Roman Baths, that the water in the main bath is warm, and that you shouldn’t touch the water in the main bath …

I did wash my hands thoroughly, especially as I was told a grim story from 1979 about a person dying from the bugs in the water.

It was a wonderful day, full of history, exploration and discovery, and like the baths, a natural spring – in this case of ideas rather than water – started to refill my creative well.

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Next week I’ll be reporting on what we did in the evening in Bath, but in the meantime, I’d like to know what fills your creative well.

Take care.

Laura x