“We’ll build a world of our own that only we can share…” (Oh, you’re probably too young to remember The Seekers!)
As writers we have to build worlds we can share with our readers, layering our manuscripts with info and images, sprinkling a little setting here, a few senses there.
For inspiration, I’m getting out, away from my desk and the imaginary characters and places I create, and into the real world. In other words, I’m doing lots of looking, listening, feeling, smelling and touching (oh la la!!). Seriously, it’s amazing what you notice when you focus on breaking down something as simple as a walk on the beach into touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell.
I also went to Ulmarra the other day. About an hour or so by car, it is a quintessential Aussie country town.
While my Calingarry Crossing is a fictional town, I drew a lot of inspiration from Ulmarra’s hotel (no come on, I mean inspiration from an architectural perspective!!) Even while drawing inspiration from an existing place, I think using a fictional town in your writing is much better than a real town. I recently started reading a novel but in chapter eight the author slams Coffs Harbour as both a place to live and visit.
Why do it? Why alienate readers when you can make up a town that is slightly north or south, give it cute name and get on with a story that keeps people interested?
I stopped reading.
So I’m sticking to building fictional worlds. Here are a few pics of Ulmarra.
I love that pub – it's just so Australian, isn't it?!
Jenn, that is a very iconic Aussie pub! Love those verandahs floorboards that have gaps so wide they'll swallow a two dollar coin!
And I know what you mean about real places being dissed in a story…
🙂
The pub is right on the river (just like Calingarry:) And the pub allows dogs – life's good!
Actually Rebecca loves Coffs and has spent quite a bit of time here. It's the character of Alice who hates Coffs. And she has huge chips on her shoulder.
I have a fictional town called Bilby Creek but it's not based on any one place. For "I'm with the Band', the band is doing a tour of the East coast of Australia, bit hard to make it up then, so I have Byron Bay, the Big Prawn (now closed), the Big Banana, the Jetty and Sydney.
I like reading different perspectives of real places
Perhaps I'm being super sensitive as I iron creases in my jeans (only joking LOL). I don't mind different perspectives either, Di. But "full of fat people" – no it's not. "no good restaurants" – I used to own a very good restuaurant there. "There aren't actally any places to stay on the water" – Ummmm, I believe there are several resorts only a few king tides away from being swamped by the Pacific Ocean!!!! "There's a railway line between the houses and the beach" – Yes there is AT THE JETTY ONLY. Coffs has 50 km of beaches. "It's crap. Coffs Harbour is full of idiots, full of the type of people who eat margarine instead of butter and iron creases in the front of their jeans." – Now that's crap!
Sorry for the rant. I just don't think it's necessary to slam a place like that when there are people trying to eek out a living from an unpredictable tourism industry.
Hi Jen,
Great blog, I love the pub too, and like you I always make up a town in which to set my story, but always place it an hours drive or an hours ride (horse) away from a bigger town, usually Wangaratta in North Eastern Victoria, because I was born there and know the area very well.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a message on my 1960's blog, I appreciate it.
Regards
Margaret