Story Boarding

Jo Bo snowstorm smaller

When I begin writing a new book and it’s still just a fragment of an idea whirling around in the maelstrom of my mind, one of the tools I use to let my imagination fly is photos or pictures that evoke a reaction from me. At present on or near my board there is artwork by Yuri Arajs, and Amy Rice, an Audubon hawk, a painting of a girl with a dog, a quote from poet Mary Oliver, a grotesque from Oxford with its finger in its nostril, and a long thin smooth beach rock I like to worry between my fingers while I have a think.
My boyfriend (oh yeah, there’s a nice picture of him on the board too) just took the photo above during the blizzard.Click on it to see a larger image. You can see more of his beautiful work over here
Although it does not apply to the book I am currently writing, I found it to be such an inspiring image. It tells a story all on its own.
They hadn’t plowed around the old school and graveyard yet, wind was still beating the snow and ice into drifts and mounds, we walked thigh-high through powdery snow in some places and the dogs looked like they were swimming through it.
I think it’s important to rest our eyes on something quiet and lovely, stirring or provoking. A respite from looking at the glare of the screen all day. A way to dream, let our thoughts float unmoored, maybe remember some buried emotions, or what it’s like in its truest most basic form, to live and breathe.

4 thoughts on “Story Boarding

  1. I read Ashes, Ashes sometime ago and it just keeps popping into my mind every now and then. I keep hoping for another book to see how the characters are doing and what’s up with the plague. So I was googling about the wonderful book you wrote, saw the Pocket Full of Posies chapters (great title!) and am so excited you posted them!! Thank you! I just wanted to see if there is a chance for the whole book? Anything we can do so it can happen? Thanks again for your awesome book. It’s saying something that your book and its great characters keep coming back to me with all the other books I’ve read in between!!

    1. Hi Sha, thanks so much for commenting. I’m so happy that you enjoyed Ashes, Ashes and the chapters from PoP. I am still hopeful that maybe some day I’ll get to finish the book but things are so unpredictable in the publishing world. I have been working on some new stuff so keep your fingers crossed!
      Jo

Comments are closed.