A Dreaming Exercise
A quick wishful game turned into a nostalgic dive in the past
Reading time: 2 min
As many of you know already, every month I meet with a few fellow authors to discuss all things writing, and it’s one of my favourite evening.
We obviously have a Watsapp group, and one day, Angus asked us a question that got my brain going down a rabbit hole.
If money and time were no issue, where would you go to write?
My friends’ answers were quite surprising and varied, to be honest. They ranged from their shed to the big hall of a building in Skyrim, but I couldn’t pinpoint a single place.
After days of keeping it on the back of my mind, I grabbed my phone and jotted down what follows. I hope it inspires you to dream and remember, but most of all, I hope you enjoy the read.
Research/Outlining
Barcelona, Spain or Olinda, Brazil
Photo by Theodor Vasile on Unsplash
For the research and outlining part I think I would want to be in an inspiring place, full of life, art, interesting architecture and where I could go out alone in the evening and go back home full of friends.
I know only of 2 places like this.
In Barcelona I would probably rent an attic not far from Casa Battló, which would remind me of all the great artists who lived there before WWII. I would fly there and then walk or use the tube.
Photo by José Ribamar on Unsplash
Olinda would be even better though, especially a few months before the carnival. Olinda sits on a green hill on top of Recife, which is the Venice of South America, and it's colourful, musical and dangerous. I would rent a place in one of the roads leading to the top, eat in fancy restaurants or stop at street carts to taste things like fried black beans or prawns in a coconut and I would drink away the evenings in one of the 2 main squares dancing to live music. I would only travel by taxi, too risky otherwise, and I would always make sure to have a backup of my manuscript in the cloud!
First Draft
Orvieto or Pineto, Italy.
Time for the first draft now. I would probably want to be in a slightly quieter place; somewhere populated enough to be able to just go out the door and find a bookshop or an ice-cream stand, but segregated enough to be able to work for days without being disturbed.
Orvieto seems the perfect choice, especially if in a flat right behind the Duomo. I'm sure a simple walk along the city walls would replenish my creative batteries completely, and I would eat meat or pizza every night.
Otherwise, a nice but small villa in the hills of Abruzzo, near Pineto, would do just fine. In August there's a music festival, the mozzarella over there is the best in Italy, and I would spend the long, hot days writing at my desk overlooking the pine trees bordering the beach.
Editing
Eden Lodge, Nosy Be, Madagascar
For the editing part I would need much more focus, so I would go some place where the world would really struggle to find me.
Photo by Marine Lacourie on Unsplash
Near the island of Nosy Be, in the North of Madagascar, there's an amazing hotel called Eden Lodge. Sea turtles and whale sharks swim right in front of it, and rather than rooms, the hotel has massive bungalows, each one with a bed, a study, a bathroom and a massage corner. The jungle behind the hotel is also rich with life. Lemurs, crabs and chameleons are usual companions of the hosts. I would probably snorkel early in the morning, let the restaurant think about every meal and write or read during the hot hours. Heading to the bar after dinner, I would play cards with the other hosts, asking inappropriate questions.
To get there, you need to fly to Antananarivo, then fly to Nosy be, finally jump on a small motorboat to get to the beach, roughly 45 minutes from civilization, but once there, I would stay there up to the last draft.
t is surprising to me, but maybe it shouldn’t, that I have picked emotions more than places. Each town reminds me of a specific feeling, a specific period of my life that would have facilitate that stage of writing.
I’m not saying I would go to those places every time I need to write a book should I, I don’t know, win the lottery; but it’s kind of nice knowing that I have somewhere to go when I close my eyes.
Alla prossima.
Photo by naushad mohamed on Unsplash
