It’s been a while since I’ve had a dash of inspiration. I’ve been faking it. Funny how important progressive moments in life are necessary to allow the readiness for the creativity that’s just waiting to come into being. Took enough damn time.
Recall I mentioned that my completed novel draft contained mostly dialogue. In my 43,000 words, I’d guess that 35,000 is conversation between characters. Tonight a tiny spark hit me and a full setting for my novel began to develop. The novel’s ambiance came to me when I was thinking about how I wanted to photograph my next model; I haven’t photographed in months.
My husband has photographed Anna, who has graced the pages of Matador Magazine as well as various European publications from nude to fashion, several times and I’ve always been struck by an essence of a particular beauty I saw in her but I’ve never found another photographer to have seen or captured it. For me, that’s good news.
I’ve been wanting to shoot Anna for over two years and in August I’m going to finally do it. I’m really excited about it not only because I finally have a chance to create the images I think she’s good for, but the essence of a woman who ultimately – to my sudden realization – best portrays the heroine in my novel; not particularly in physical looks but the essence I see in her which exhudes a kind of erotcism I can’t even explain but can sense, feel. I’ll know it if I capture it.
I’m curious if it’s even possible to create on film the feeling I see in my mind. If so, this photo project will be extra fun. If not then at least I have, for now, a face to go along with the character who has up until now, been only a voice and that will help me to envision the missing narratives I’m about to begin.
Lastly, all these ideas brought me back to Paris, no longer a place I really care to think about anymore. I didn’t expect this story to be set in Paris of all places but it feels right and as I’m listening to Billie Holiday in the background as I write this, I think you can gain a sense of the feeling I’m after. This novel is, as mentioned before, a love story not a romance genre novel. Of course eroticism is weaved throughout but it won’t be an erotic novel either. What I ultimately hope to accomplish is to fictionally “test” an aspect, if not the theory on Love and Sex I’ve discovered. I don’t think the theory is original enough for an academic review as it’s not fully complete – meaning, I’m way in over my head! – but as a fictional story the theory has lots of promise. That is also good news.
* I’ll, of course, post some photos of Anna after I photograph her.
