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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The romance of far-away places

Bologna from the Torre degli Asinelli (photo by Calca from Wikimedia Commons)Many writers I know write about their own local areas and places. I love to write about far-away places. The pull and lure of the unknown always intrigues me. So I either write about the past - a different kind of far-off place where manners, customs, fashions are all different - or I write about distant lands.

I love Yorkshire as a place to live. It's where most of my family are. I love the landscape and the people. Yet, in my writing, I find I am most excited by the glamour of the different. For me, the grass over the other side of the fence really is greener!

Having studied European history, I tend to be drawn to the lands of the classical Greeks and Romans. The light and dry heat of Greece always amazes me and the wild-flowers and ruins and the fiercely passionate people all inspire me. Italy is a country I love for its culture, food, mix of ancient and modern and sense of family. Both places to me seem ripe for romance and adventure: their men folk are often impossibly handsome and open and engaging. Very appealing!

I wrote about the Greek island of Rhodes in my sweet romance, A Secret Treasure and about Italy and especially Italian bread and sweets in my newly published Holiday in Bologna. This Christmas we are having panettone as a cake, probably with soft Italian cheese. Delicious!

Do you read stories set in far away places? What inspires you in your fiction?

Lindsay
 
http://www.lindsaytownsend.net

3 comments:

Katie Reus said...

Many of my stories are set in Florida b/c I live here but I do love reading about other places. As long as I care about the characters, I don't really care where the story is set :)

Bekki Lynn said...

Most of the stories I read are from other places. In my writing, I've used places unknown to me as well as very familiar. It's a comfort zone, I guess.

And then a story grabbed me and led me to a land I thought I'd never write about. It was intense and I fell in love. Really took me by surprise, so you never know.

Savanna Kougar said...

Lindsay, your love of the places your stories are set in comes through beautifully and strongly.

Congrats on your release of Holiday in Bolgna!!!