AN EXOTIC NOVEL - THE LAST YEAR OF CHILDHOOD

EXOTIC
TANTALIZES THE TASTBUDS

 EXOTIC IS FULL OF BRIGHT COLOURS

EXOTIC IS A MIRIAD OF MULITCULTURAL FLAVOURS





Exotic settings are easy to escape into! Whatever the genre. They are warm, interesting, exciting, and usually informative. I am thinking of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Both one and two, were brilliant. The setting made it extra special. No doubt about it. And the cinemas are heaving with people going to see them. And what about Pirates of the Caribbean? All box office sell outs.

My novel THE LAST YEAR OF CHILDHOOD, is set in the exotic countryside of 1917 Trinidad, where much of the land was still rainforest.

TEN things EXOTIC about THE LAST YEAR OF CHILDHOOD

1. The setting is in a village deep in the countryside where much of the land is still rainforest, cool and warm at the same time.

2. The climate is tropical, which means that it is always sleeveless weather even at night.

3. Fruits are juicy and abundant. Birds are colourful. Blossom and flowers are bold. 

4. Tropical landscape are full of clearly defined greens, reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, blues

5. The food is multiculturally tantalizing - Indian curries, Spanish flavours, Creole pepper pot, Chinese fried rice.

6. People are always welcome. Food and drink are always offered. It is good manners to accept something, or offence could be taken. 

7. Language and dialect add to the exotic experience.

8. The pastime is full of merrymaking, and music from Indian drums and African songs, combine. 

9. Everyone is invited to ceremonies and celebrations - Weddings, Hindu prayers, funerals.

10. All celebrations are a elaborate affair. Generosity by the host is always evident.

GENERATING IDEAS and UNDOING WRITER'S BLOCK

We can all have an off day. That's normal life. But if as a writer, it carries on for longer, we can easily fall into a dark hole that can be called Writer's Block. The key is to keep writing, but how to do that with a blank in our head?

Generating ideas is not all that difficult. Most experienced writers are never really short of ideas, they just get a little bogged down in other things of life, or a state of mind, and forget what to do. A new writer generally has to learn what to do.

Continuing to laze in Writer's Block land can be detrimental to our writing life. So it is good to remember that ideas exist in everything around us every single day, whether we are sitting at home watching the TV, reading a book, looking out of the window, out at work, or shopping in the supermarket. 

Here are a few things to look out for that can turn into ideas for your plot -

- Something strikes you as odd. What is it?

- how we feel about someone lying about us

- how much gossip is enjoyable and where does it become detrimental

- Someone strikes you as unreasonable

- You overhear a phone conversation

- one person exerting control on another

- You hear the expression of a voice

- A parent shouting at a screaming child

- The body language of someone on the train in their own world

- An argument

- a boss who goes back on his word

- a joke

- a happy occasion

- An upsetting meeting

- A family gathering

- A wedding

- How we feel about our will power after eating a cream cake

- a debate or discussion. Does it become personal, or remain objective

- Hearing about an accident

- Seeing a parent on TV make a plea for kidnappers to return their child

- Someone misinterprets what you or someone else says

- a person who cannot be wrong

- A personality that is detrimental to another

- A person who has a way with words that calms a storm

- A difficult or demanding teenager

- A parent who has a particularly trying time

- An illness which takes its toll on the sufferer and the family

These are just a few examples to look out for in our daily lives. When we decide on using an idea, we just need to be careful how we use those when they involve actual people or incidents, because we wouldn't want to be sued. It's easily overcome by changing the setting, the time, the names, gender, and the relationships.

If any of the ideas come from our own experience, we can write with confidence about "what we know". Except, sometimes it can be too emotional. But it helps to write from the heart and which brings an authentic flavour to the writing.

So in order to undo Writer's Block, check out ideas from any part of our day and or any part of our life.