All my favorite things


November 18, 2018  •  No Comments

I was recently listening to a podcast by the fabulous Joanna Penn, who mentioned that authors should embrace their idiosyncratic pleasures.  That is, those elements one loves and uses in art or writing again and again. These might be story elements such as secret babies or serial killers (hopefully not at the same time). They might also just be images or ideas that make us happy. I love her recommendation to use these gems as one pleases, and to be unapologetic while doing so!

 

What’s my list? It will probably take me a while to collect everything, but here’s a start:

  • Seaside towns/cities – I believe the sea adds untold romance and mystery, not to mention delicious fogs
  • Funky older neighborhoods
  • Cathedrals & bell towers
  • Catacombs and ossuaries
  • Tea and all the rituals that go with it
  • Fireplaces
  • Graveyards, the older the better (that’s Highgate in the picture above)
  • Trees, especially twisty ones
  • Magic of all sorts
  • Strong-willed grandmothers
  • Baroque and early music. The Brandenburg Concerti are my go-to mood tonic
  • Clocks
  • Velvet
  • Walled gardens and glass houses
  • Exotic strangers
  • Underground spaces, with or without dragons
  • Castles and ancient manors, complete with appropriate drafts
  • Moors and heaths
  • Fancy ankle boots
  • Standing stones
  • Talking animals
  • Swirling cloaks
  • Carnelian jewelry
  • Mad scientists
  • Possession by spirits
  • Snow, mostly in theory and not waiting to be shoveled

I don’t think you need to be a writer to have a list like this–and when to dip into it on a day when you need to lift your spirits! Yes, sometimes I do take a walk in the cemetery to cheer myself up. It’s the nicest green space imaginable on a bright fall day.