Not really, but close. Tomorrow night I set off to the beautiful lands of Scotland, and while I may not be headed there on a scarlet steam engine with some magically gifted peers, I am ready for the magic of a new adventure.
This trip is doubly exciting for little ol’ nerd me. Not only am I going to be in Scotland, the home land of Hogwarts, and having breakfast in the Elephant Cafe, where our queen Jo Rowling started Harry’s story, I’m going to be seeing Loch Ness!
I am a Nessie believer and I’m damn proud of it. No amount of sonar readings will be able to tell me I’m wrong. I’ve written college level essays on this. I will argue until I’m blue in the face and even then I won’t stop. Viva La Nessie!
Loch Ness holds more than dreams of Nessie for me, though. For years I’ve had a story running ’round in my head that’s main setting is on the shores of Loch Ness. I’ve always been hesitant to truly start working on it because what if I messed something up? Or if I didn’t do my precious Loch Ness any justice? This weekend I will be staying in Inverness and getting my fill of Loch Ness, even sailing on it and exploring the ruins of Urquhart Castle. I’ll finally be able to dive into the world of metahumans and magic that I’ve created and feel comfort in my setting and characters in ways I haven’t before.
The main character Locke (haha, I’m so darn clever) calls the shores of the Loch his home, and while he spends most of his adventures outside of Scotland and her familiar waters, he always returns and some of his most defining moments happen around the old castle of his family home. My time abroad has been fueling this story along with each place I visit. My trips to London and Paris and Rome and my entire stay in Dublin have inspired so many new scenes and helped to flesh out the existing ones I’ve planned for him.
Hopefully, when I do start writing, Locke and I can work to bring his world and mine together, creating a dark underground to a landscape we all recognize. The stories that make you question, that make you think ‘what if’ have always been my favorite. I remember reading books set in areas so similar to ones I grew up in, but were teeming with aliens and magic. I looked for them around every corner. As a writer, I hope to ignite that same spark of curiosity.
-Kaitie
Inky Musings 