Inspiration Strikes by Wendy H. Jones

As a writer I have discovered that inspiration strikes at the oddest times. I am currently on a bit of a working holiday in the South of England. Whilst staying with a friend who lives in Eltham, in London, she took me along to Well Hall Pleasance. It sounded pleasant (pun intended) so off we went. Little did I know what a treat I had in store. This used to be the home of Edith Nesbit who wrote The Railway Children and Five Children and It amongst many other books. The picture at the top is the Psammead from Five Children and it. There are a number of these wooden statues in the garden, all depicting different creatures from the books. 

The Phoenix from The Phoenix and the Carpet

How could one fail to be inspired in such a setting. Knowing that all these years ago E. Nesbit sat here and wrote such magical books, filled me with a sense of wonder. It also filled me with inspiration to write books which could be enjoyed by readers so many years down the line. 

Over and above the literary aspect of Well Hall Pleasance it is also a beautiful place to walk and think. The sun shone that day and I wandered down narrow paths over a winding stream and through woodland. There are also well laid out gardens, exactly the same today as they would have been in Nesbit's day. 

Being October the trees were just beginning to change and the colours were glorious. Nature was displaying one last burst of technicolour brilliance before winter set in. Truly awe inspiring stuff and also inspiring in a literary sense. This is the stuff that books are made of. In my case this is slightly worrying as I write crime books which require a dark atmosphere rather than a beautiful natural setting. However, all is not lost. As the paths wind their way through the woods one strolls through areas which are dark and eerie  This is a perfect portrayal of the way in which life is made up of both light and dark. Did I manage to conjure up any dead bodies. I will leave you to decide that. 

My exhortation to you, when writing this post, is to step outside the norm. Do something different. It will fire up your imagination and you will never know when inspiration will strike. 

About The Author

Wendy lives, and writes, in Dundee Scotland. Her first book, Killer's Countdown, was published in November, 2014. The second book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries, Killer's Craft, was released on 20th July, 2015. The Third book, Killer's Cross, will be released on 16th November, 2015. You can find out more on her:

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