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A writer need never be bored. Whether waiting in a café, for a train, or stuck in traffic, you can always observe people or things. Sometimes this will give you an idea for a whole new piece of work, or maybe just some detail to enrich an existing piece. Can you read the expressions of people? Or dogs? Which trees colour first in autumn and which come into leaf last in spring. Pay extra attention to sound, smell and touch.
Blackberries of the thornless variety are growing at either end of the raspberry wires with extra support from two wooden arches, hastily built a couple of years ago in a, ‘Let’s build an arch’ moment. Of all the soft fruit they are the last to ripen, so that by the time you pick the leaves are already turning red round the edges and crisp as you move them aside to find a ripe berry.
In 2018 I became a Master of Philosophy in Creative Writing. As part of my thesis I was required to provide a collection of short stories linked by place. I chose the New Forest, in particular the area in and around Lyndhurst. Pure laziness on my part: I live there, so not too much on-the-ground research required.
Waterside Writers
