Home is such an interesting theme isn’t it and can be interpreted in so many different ways. Is home a place? The place you were born and where you grew up which for me was in Norfolk which I didn’t leave until I was 21. A sort of geographical link. Or is home anywhere and based on what you bring to that place? Or is it somewhere you’re searching for in order to find what you believe home should encompass. I write regularly with two women who have travelled and lived in different countries all their working lives. They frequently write about home although like you not necessarily with that intention in mind.
It’s fascinating that ‘home’ is an important theme for you. Interestingly, whilst working on my first two novels, I decided early on that the lives of the characters should play out whilst their away from ‘home’ (when they’re on holiday or living abroad etc). I think that was because it helped me to create energetically charged spaces where their identities/realities could be destabilised and change. But the most recent one, Topsy & Co, is centred on the life of the C19 designer/writer William Morris who loved his various houses/homes, so, in some ways, they create a backdrop to the whole story.
Yes, because a person away from home is very different. The safety-net is gone. And I love the idea of the home being an extension of the person. I think our homes, just on the basic interior design level, tell us so much about the person.
I think the idea of hidden repeated themes in our writing is so interesting… so much so that I’ve actually been working on a Substack post on my own accidental thematic preoccupation! The idea of this theme being ‘what you know’ at a deep level is such a great point.
That's so interesting! Yes, it occurred to me that there had to be a reason that 'home' kept coming through in my writing. And yet it presents itself very differently in each story, so it must be an exploration of the theme. I can't wait to read your own thoughts on this!
Home is such an interesting theme isn’t it and can be interpreted in so many different ways. Is home a place? The place you were born and where you grew up which for me was in Norfolk which I didn’t leave until I was 21. A sort of geographical link. Or is home anywhere and based on what you bring to that place? Or is it somewhere you’re searching for in order to find what you believe home should encompass. I write regularly with two women who have travelled and lived in different countries all their working lives. They frequently write about home although like you not necessarily with that intention in mind.
It’s fascinating that ‘home’ is an important theme for you. Interestingly, whilst working on my first two novels, I decided early on that the lives of the characters should play out whilst their away from ‘home’ (when they’re on holiday or living abroad etc). I think that was because it helped me to create energetically charged spaces where their identities/realities could be destabilised and change. But the most recent one, Topsy & Co, is centred on the life of the C19 designer/writer William Morris who loved his various houses/homes, so, in some ways, they create a backdrop to the whole story.
Yes, because a person away from home is very different. The safety-net is gone. And I love the idea of the home being an extension of the person. I think our homes, just on the basic interior design level, tell us so much about the person.
That's very true. Wishing you every success with the new novel! ✨️
I think the idea of hidden repeated themes in our writing is so interesting… so much so that I’ve actually been working on a Substack post on my own accidental thematic preoccupation! The idea of this theme being ‘what you know’ at a deep level is such a great point.
That's so interesting! Yes, it occurred to me that there had to be a reason that 'home' kept coming through in my writing. And yet it presents itself very differently in each story, so it must be an exploration of the theme. I can't wait to read your own thoughts on this!