The other day, a student asked me if I had any particular rituals associated with my writing. I was about to answer, 'No, not really,' in a lame kind of way, when I realised that I do, I just never thought of them that way, that's all. I collect things. Some objects are almost talismans, others are just fun - like the models that make up the interesting Pirates! tableau. I have witches in all sizes from big, to very small with flashing eyes, that belong to Witch Child; models of pirates, ships, flags, eye patches, pencil case, t shirts (Pirates! - what else?); a tricolour rosette I bought in Paris (Sovay) and various jesters for The Fool's Girl. I don't stop when the book is finished - the Lego pirate ship was free with last week's News of The World and I always give money to street performers because of Feste.
Perhaps the reason I go on collecting is because books are never really finished. The characters stay with you long after the book has been published. You've lived with them for a long time, they are part of you, like memories and people from your real life. I realised this when I re-visited Pirates! recently. This was a stand alone book, published in 2003, no sequel planned, so none written, but that didn't stop me wondering, speculating about what happened next, so when I was invited by a blogger, who was having a pirate month in May, to write a piece for her website, I thought, why not?
She wanted it to be called a The Brawl in Triton's Tavern. I've had stranger requests. I decided to write an episode from Pirates! 2, the phantom sequel. As soon as I began to write, the characters and their voices were back again. It was like visiting old friends. The result can be seen http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2011/05/tritons-tavern-brawl.html
It was fun. I might go back there again for a longer visit. Who knows? In these days of e books and kindle, we can write what we like, what we want to write, not what is asked of us by publishers.
5 comments:
How lovely! I will certainly go and read your Triton's Tavern piece....and like the look of your pirates tableau. I too give money to street performers but my reason is different. I once spent a few weeks in my youth busking in Paris and it was a most marvellous (and actually quite lucrative!) experience....
This is a lovely piece, Celia. If I'd only known there was a free Lego ship I would have bought the paper. I have collections of objects, too, and they populate my office keeping the characters present even when I'm working on something else.
I loved it - and I want to know what happens next...!
I had to post this in advance - so hlad it worked and that it struck a cord with you guys.
Celia I've been in Italy so missed this post when it came up. By odd coincidence I'd taken The Fool's Girl with me... so you were in my thoughts there. Pirates is still one of my favourite books... the brawl was a fabulous sequel!
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