I’ve been contemplating a new series for my blog, and coming up short with ideas. Then I had little brainwave, I wanted to show some of my favourite images that relate to the places mentioned in my books. Some I have been to, others I haven’t travelled to as yet and are on my ever-growing bucket-list. I definitely need two life-times, one isn’t enough to do all that I’d like!
There are a few sites I use to get my images: one is Wikimedia/Wikipedia as they are commons free. I also use Pixabay. I like to use these as you don’t infringe copyright, though it is always a good idea to attribute the author/creator where possible. I never use Pinterest or Instagram for images as you need to go back to the original source and acknowledge the rightful creator.
Anyway, back to the real purpose of the article – images. Images are a great tool that show and don’t tell, a mantra I keep repeating in my head when writing. It reminds me to reduce the use of adverbs and adjectives when describing actions, feelings, sounds, smells, etc. I learnt from helpful fellow writers and reading industry sources, and from well established authors, that using strong verbs and nouns is the best arsenal a writer can use.
I have pictures on my pinboard, description of colours in all their variations, and refer to various sources for images that will help me write better. I also spend time visualising a place, imagining myself walking in that location, the smells, sounds and how people interacted. It is especially useful for writing about a place and time that has long gone, unless the good Doctor lends me her Tardis to travel back in time.
I’ve been fortunate to visit a number of historical sites, and nothing compares to actually walking through the ancient Forum in Rome, the Colosseum, and seeing the Palace at Knossos. The ruins are amazing and you do get a sense of what it must have been like when they were built with the ancients moving around with purpose, bartering, chatting, etc.
Over the coming articles, I will share with you my favourite images and my inspirations for writing historical fiction.
Thank you for your continued support and as always, I look forward to your comments and will respond.
Historical fiction novelist and a secondary teacher, Luciana Cavallaro, burnt out but not done… yet.
Luciana Cavallaro 
Images do so much for understanding a story. These will be quite helpful. There is coming a day–soon–when Augmented Reality will put these sorts of pictures right into a novel. We could now, with links, but they’re still too glitchy for so many reasons.
I like your summary of image use. I’m a Pixabay fan, too. For a long time, I bought all of my images from a service just to be safe. It was a monthly fee for unlimited pictures so I still have quite a few.
Hope you got my last email with info on my online teaching? If not, let me know and I’ll resend! Hugs, girlfriend.
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That will be amazing, AR in ebooks, but I wonder if it will detract from the story.
I have got your email about online teaching. I will be in touch. Been sick the past few weeks.
Hugs, my dear friend 😀
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Thanks, Luciana, for sharing your thoughts. Images are so helpful establishing the mood and setting the story. I also look on Google Images for images of landscape and people. Also, when I travel, I take lots of photos which I can use on blog. I’ve never tried Pixaby, but will take a look into it. Hugs, my friend.
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I haven’t used Google Images as yet. I will have look. Thank you, Linnea.
Hugs, dear friend 😀
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Have you been to Crete yet? If not, I highly recommend it. I lived there for just under 2 years. The local people are so hospitable and the small villages are inspirational.
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I have 🙂 Loved it and especially the Heraklion museum and the Palace of Knossos.
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I lived the opposite way from the Palace of Knossos. My husband and I lived between New Gouves and Gouves approximately forty five minutes east from Heraklion. I wish I still lived there despite their economy hassles.
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A great idea, Lucciana! I can’t wait to see your images and the posts they inspire!
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Bella,
Like they say, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ and the pictures you post are truly inspirational. Speaking of which, I have another thought about pictures from past centuries. There have been times when I had felt a personal association with a photograph of a place I’d never been to and I can’t explain why. I have always felt a kindred connection with the late 1800s. I sometimes wonder if it is possible to have lived before or that perhaps a memory fragment from a distant relative that lived during that time period lingers somewhere in my DNA.
Just a thought.
xxx 🙂
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