Just Me, My Notebook and All of My Senses...

So here I am... writing a blog. Because I am at the start of a creative adventure that is totally new to me. A process that is fun, that brings new challenges but also comes with lots of personal insecurities: I have started to write a novel! Writing a book was on my wish list for many years. I was the type of child that wrote essays of 20 pages, always returned by the teacher with a comment in red like: 'Good essay, but PLEASE make it shorter next time!' So after a few short stories during the years, I am now ready for the real stuff. Never wrote a novel in my life, so had to do a lot of research about that first. Where do I start, what kind of structure do I use, how do I create my characters, what are the typical mistakes a new writer makes...? As the novel is set in Italy, not far from Naples, I did some thorough research about that specific region, its history and its people already. In September I will spend a whole week in a sleepy village to interview my Italian friend and to explore the area some more. Just me, my notebook and all of my senses. Experiencing, observing, smelling and tasting the place where the story I have in my head is set. Where the characters I will invent will grow up, become adults and meet other people. If you are interested, I would love to share this creative process with you! That is why I have created this blog.