Time travel with me? Let’s go back to 1981. I am five years old. It’s a wintery morning on the weaving road of the Tākaka Hill, top of the South Island, New Zealand. I am in the back seat of a Ford Zephyr. My dad is driving. My mother’s there too, wearing an old, cream woollen jersey that I still own.
I can smell the sun bleached upholstery.
Beside me, my little brother is car sick. He is pale, staring miserably out the window. We have already stopped twice for my little brother, and we’re not even halfway over the hill yet.
Up ahead we see a car parked on the side of the road with its bonnet open.
“We’ll stop now,” I say to my brother. He looks hopeful.
We do stop. My father cannot drive past a car with its bonnet up. Unless there’s another guy there who has pulled over to help, then he’ll wave reluctantly and carry on.
My dad gets out to offer help. The road is narrow here with very little space, so he picks his way along the verge. Almost immediately he disappears behind the bonnet of the car and an animated conversation springs up. Occasional wafts of steam rise from behind the bonnet.
Cars rumble past, occasionally slowing down, when other people offer their help too.
Somewhere nearby, hidden by forest, a sheep calls out. I can hear a stream trickling. The wind is cold enough that we all stay in the car.
Are you here with me?
Good, it was nice to hangout with you in the back seat of that old car. Now let’s return to the present and talk about places.
When you’re writing about places the first thing to do is check and double check you’re spelling that place name correctly.
Also check to see if the name of that place has changed over the years, that occasionally happens to place names – for all sorts of reasons including politics, pronunciation and rightening historic wrongs.
Next, what’s it like there? What do you see, hear, feel, smell?
All those things paint a picture for the reader.
And finally, what’s happening? Who’s there? What are they doing? How are they interacting with this place?
Leave a map, so your people can follow it back to these places one day.
And most importantly, keep writing.
Charlotte
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PS Would you like to write your memoir within one year, with my in-person support? This June 2023 I’m hosting the first of four seasonal meet ups for Write Your Memoir students here in Golden Bay, Tasman. Any students of my course are welcome to join. All you need to do is signup and I’ll be in touch with your invitation to join us in a cosy country hall!
Charlotte Squire 