Over at Unusual Historicals, there is a discussion about haunted places. Do battlefields and thelike leave imprints? Do they feel different? I will put my hand up and say yes.
I can remember when a few years ago we were visitng my mother in Va, and drove out to Sharpsburg.We stopped to look at the sunken road where so many died. A creepy feeling came over both my dh and I, we huried the children back into the car -- only to have it not start the first try!
Culloden postively reeks of atmosphere. Bosworth Field as well. Flodden. I tend to think battlefields when no one else is there have a quiet hush of their own.
The place on Hadrian's wall that bothers me the most is the museum at Chesters. It always feels close for some reason. I don't mind the actual site but the museum has an odd atmosphere. It is stuffed full of statues, grave stones and the like...v 19th century. It has been preserved as the man who basically saved Hadrian's Wall left it.
Is it ghosts? Impressions of past time? Or simply me trying to put myself into the ambience of the place? Does anyone have any thoughts?
I see that my vistors have gone up and suspect it might be from Sela's post about me knowing about personalities traits. I will admit to being interested in them and how one uses that raw material to fashion believable characters. If anyone has any questions using astrology or ennegrams or Myers Briggs, do ask. I am not so keen on birth order because I think it is less useful as a tool for creating characters. It is highly interesting to read about though.
And in case anyone is intersted Sela was listed as a warrior women in a very early history of the Danish people.
VC is coming near to its conclusion. I wonder sometimes if I just want my writing to be so much better than it is. I know what needs to happen here. I know why it needs to happen, and I just want the words on the page but they are not flowing as well as they should be. I have made several mistakes. But it is all about fixxing bad pages. I hope. My v lovely dh keeps saying -- but you are on track to get this finished...Yes, but I know the editting I am going have to do. I know what I want to accomplish with this book. AndI know the time I am sometimes wasting, when the words are not flowing. I want it to have a really satisfying ending. And at the moment, it is getting there. There are reasons why I love revisions. Anyway I wrote about 3k today and will prbably write the same tomorrow. And I have known probably the last line of this one for almost since I began thinking about it...
7 comments:
Write the damn thing already. You are perfectly allowed to not get it perfect. YOU KNOW THIS. It will be much clearer in edits.
I felt much the same way with HF as you well know. Knowing what I wanted to accomplish and feeling I hadn't. Guess what. That's what revisions are for.
As far as hauntings...I think I rather do believe in those things. Haven't visited such a place in a while, though.
Donna who totally should pay more attention to personality types and doesn't
Some places do have that feel to them. I get that a lot when I'm in certain castles, houses etc.
I'm just not very sensitive to places like battlefields, I'm afraid. Although I do believe people who are and tell me they get those vibes.
Warrior Woman, eh? Better than "Woman Who Walks Behind Elephant With Shovel."
I love Chesters fort and in particular the museum, which has a wonderful old-style glass case display. I also camped at the fort itself as I was doing a show, and felt very at home there, even when walking across the ruins in the dark to visit the loo. Got a bit startled by all the hedgehogs that had come out though :-)
Funnily enough, I'm more likely to get spooked in much younger surrounds, like 19th century houses.
I can totally see Sela as a Warrior Woman.
And I feel your pain with your WIP. I was/am in the same situation.
Ah Alex were you at the Roman festival a few years back? I love going to the festival. For the last few years they have held it at Corbridge...
And I have finished...it is just the tweaks that are needed.
Yes, I was at Chesters when the Roman Festival was there - I was with the Late Romans :-) The festival has been held elsewhere as there are access problems at Chesters. The ownership of the lane by which re-enactors got onto the site has changed, and they won't let EH use it. As you know, the ruins are substantial, and it wouldn't be a good idea to have the constant trailing of equipment over the walls (not to mention exhausting the re-enactors having to carry all their camping, armour and living history kit so far!) A real shame. I haven't been with my group when they've gone to Corbridge, but reports are that it isn't half as pleasant as Chesters :-(
Glad to hear you've finished, btw
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