Planes are grounded, but we can travel. As writers we can allow our characters explore the places we long to visit. I am forcing my fictitious friends to visit restaurants, parties and the fairground. I am delighting in the hustle and bustle of the crowded locations and soaking up the atmosphere more than ever before. A lockdown cannot lock my imagination and the silence helps me to find the words.
My work in progress, Loving You (working title) is set in the seventies so I escaped to another time and place. I selected my seventies outfit, added some powerful eyeliner and made my way to a Valentine’s party in a café located in Dockers Row, Aberynys. Lorenzo and Stella Ferrari introduced a community to Italian food. It may be a simple menu, but I enjoyed the comforting aroma of garlic. Food was plentiful and the atmosphere was heavy with the laughter. I departed from the café before there was any sign of love, but I heard some soulful singing. There were whispers of strike action at the sewing factory from some of the other guests. I may need to share some of my store cupboard recipes with the factory girls.
I bought a lovely red Mini Cooper and followed a Ford Zephyr out to Delfryn. Oh, it is so beautiful there. The river meandered through the valley and spring was in the air. I spotted a young man absorbed in a painting. I did not chat to Jim as I found myself back here in front of my laptop when the news headlines disturbed the flight of my imagination. Cake o’clock with and strong pot of filter coffee always gets me through the days at the moment.
Time to leave reality again, I travelled to France via Roseanna Ley’s novel, Her Mother’s Secret. I met a writer in the novel who explained that:
‘The writer could be as selfish as he pleased. He could nip into that other world whenever the urge arose, returning to reality only when the necessary work was done.’
I love nipping in and out of reality and I find myself breaking simple rules of life to shake it up. I can have cake for breakfast, bacon and eggs for tea and make up a silly dance to Abba music if the mood takes me. I don’t care if the neighbour sees me dancing in the garden room: anything goes at the moment.
I invite you to make up your own rules in the comfort of your own home. Book yourself into a good book or write yourself into the places you miss. Seek solace in good old fashioned comfort food. For instance, I made tomato soup with fresh tomatoes that were too soft and squishy. I roasted the tomatoes with dried herbs, seasoning and olive oil at 180 degrees. When the tomatoes were cooked and deliciously sweet, I blended them with stale bread to thicken up the soup. Delicious! This upside-down world meant we ate the soup at midnight and then I went on to plan a new village I will immerse myself in when writing my third novel. When my editor checks into Delfryn and Aberynys, I am going to write a light-hearted story set in Yorkshire. I have already met Maisie and called in at Heatherbridge.
I am going to love you and leave you and wish you the power of your imagination to help you through this difficult time.
Please all my Handbag Adventures and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.
A copy of my first novel is available here.