There is nothing like being on location to write your book. A portion of my upcoming novel Because Bandara Says is set in Sri Lanka at an amazing yoga and Ayurveda center which I have come to think of as my second home. I visit there every six months to reset my body and mind, and highly recommend this type of calming environment to all writers, frustrated or otherwise, as it really gets the creative juices flowing.
While it is not always possible to visit every location I write about, especially if the place is fictitious, writing while experiencing the same sights and sounds as my characters adds a touch of authenticity and detail to the work, which I hope my readers will love. You can only envisage what’s in my mind if I paint the picture vividly enough for you.
"I try to walk in the footsteps of my characters."
I’d like to share this bit of my Sri Lankan experience with you – a monsoon rain during a meditation session, captured in this excerpt from my upcoming book, Because Bandara Says:
…Then it started to rain. At first sounding like wind rustling the jungle leaves, the drops fell steadily harder until the patter sounded loudly overhead.
With her eyes closed and devoid of the sense of sight, the noises around her became more vivid; the chirping of frogs sounded from the dense underbrush, a birdcall from a nearby tree cut through the deafening downpour, and the water cascaded off the tile roof, trickling down the chains hung as guides, and splashing loudly into large stone pots.
The wind unexpectedly misted her face with cold spray as a gust whipped the rain under the eaves of the pavilion. She parted her lips and tasted the pureness of nature.
Happy Writing!
Comments