Thursday 14 April 2011

Training my Mind

I was pondering some of the courses I have done over the years and how these might impact my writing.

Scarf tying – I took along a triangular silver mesh scarf and was told it would be best used in the bedroom with nothing else on!!! Maybe this will appear in an erotic scene at some point.

Tassel making – Boy did I get some comments about this one. It was actually to learn how to make curtain tie back tassels. Having said that the comments might come in useful again for erotic material.

Hypnotherapy – This was for two years and became my last career. I have noticed that most of my work is influenced by it, either in the obvious way of including a hypnosis scene or past life regression, or in more subtle ways with hypnotic language and reasoning techniques.

Family History – A thirty year plus hobby and such a rich source of ideas for stories. I am considering writing a non-fiction book on fiction from your family tree. What do you think about this? Would it appeal?

Bodhran (Irish drumming) – Not sure where this will come in to my novels yet, but I’m sure I’ll get it in there somewhere. It was a lovely weekend in the Cotswolds taking me right out of my comfort zone, but such fun.

Earth Energies – Inspiring for elemental beings, ghosts, standing stones, wells, ley lines, dowsing, archetypes and subtle energies.

Tuina – This is an acupressure massage technique. I actually won all £1000 worth of the course. Back to the erotic again, as one of my books will have to have a massage couch seduction (blushes over memory!)

I’m enjoying this and maybe I’ll continue it another time. Not sure where Victorian cards, ribbon weaving and rag rug making come in. I’ve also got a hankering to go on a barista course.

What strange course have you been on and how can you use it in your writing?

7 comments:

  1. Write a non-fiction book on fiction from your family... i.e. the stories they've told? Hmmm... probably would be interesting. Not sure it's something I would read generally... only because I have enough books already to contend with. However, with my hubby's grandfather, I wish I could have everything he's got to say about his life as a youngster written down or taped, because he's got some tales to tell!

    Before my 1st son was born I was training to be a driving instructor (don't ask! big mistake!) but not sure if that sounds very interesting to be included in a book lol!

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  2. Hi Teresa. Thank you for commenting. Family stories would be one aspect of the book, but more research from census and other material and using this as fiction. For example, I have an ancestor who was trained in the 1870s as a schoolmaster and there is a wealth of material there for a book.

    I can see great potential in the driving instructor course. The heroine could be giving the hero driving lessons and getting into all sorts of scrapes. Lol. Mx

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  3. This is an interesting post! I've taken a Reiki course and I used that in a short story that won $200 once. I'll have to have a think about other courses. Yoga? Art? First aid? Hmm...

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  4. Hi Serenity,

    I started this as a bit of fun, but it has definitely got my mind working in different directions. You must have read my mind, I'd just edited out a paragraph about using Reiki on a mountain top! This post hasn't been as popular as some of my other recent ones, but I can think of a lot more to write about the subject. Mx

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  5. I trained and worked as a masseuse years ago when moonlighting from my job with a TV company. I haven't yet put that in a novel but think I will!

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  6. When I worked for a conference centre they sent me on a 'Colour me Beautiful' course where I learnt I was Autumn, all oranges and greens.... or was it Spring. See, I can't even remember!

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  7. Hi Flowerpot - see we all have hidden talents. I find it fascinating that people tend to make judgements very quickly about us and yet no one can see the rich tapestry of our lives. For example, I would bet against anyone guessing that my big burly brother-in-law's hobby is cross stich!

    Cara - I've done one of those too. Light Spring me. Could help with deciding about character formation perhaps. Describing someone as winter might be interesting - all silvers and dark blues maybe.

    I'm enjoying this so much look out for part 2 shortly. Mx

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