Goodwood

Goodwood

Tuesday 3 April 2012

C… is for… Colour #atoz

Does colour influence your life?

It does in mine. I adore stained glass windows; the way light diffuses through the glass and can light up a dull corner of a church with a glorious rainbow. I used to make stained glass panels as a hobby. My shed is set up with my tools and the last glass panel I was in the process of making, sits & waits for me to return to it.

The depth of the richness and the clarity of glass pulls me toward it; I lust after owning jewels that sparkle brightly. Rich iridescent colours sing to me.

As a photographer I was taught that the sky is my best friend, and to use it as a backdrop. It is forever changing, never constant.

So as a writer should I use the weather to set a scene? Or mislead the reader with a deliberate sign that takes the reader away from the impending disaster?

Yet strangely I wear a lot of black for ease, and comfort as I’m never keen to wear too much colour in the winter. But once the summer is here it’s good to peel back the layers and suddenly I’m happy to wear pinks and purples and oranges.

But my skin, fair, white and pale doesn’t love the sun.

And I know if a stranger touches my arm and simply asks; ‘are you feeling okay?’ I know that the colour has drained from my face and that my ghostly pallor frightens people. The art of fainting stopped occurring after I turned 26 but I still pull off a remarkable trick of a spectre like apparition, a translucent impression on a bad day when my body dips.

But my characters need colour, in their language, like a truculent teenager disagreeing with his mother, or describing an old man across the road, rude and curmudgeonly. I need these impressions to jump off the page in the dialogue so that my reader can imagine each detail I deliver and yes it’s nice to know their eyes are green but not until I’m well into the story. At a suitable juncture. When it’s more appropriate to include, minor detail.

What colours your judgment? Your life? Your writing?

6 comments:

  1. Love your outlook! And so glad you joined the Challenge, even if you did it in the wee hours!

    Hope you're enjoying it!

    ~~Paula from www.thetweenandme.com

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    1. Hi Paula, Lovely to meet you here through the A to Z challenge. it is good fun, a challenge but it's what I need to do!

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  2. I'm into purple, and lilac. Some say they are the healing colours, and they certainly lift my mood. I also use both as the back drop to my blog.
    When I'm writing, I prefer to sit somewhere with light colours. Creams, and yellows are good.

    Thought provoking post.

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  3. You are a star Maria, and I need to emulate your level of participation in responding to other people’s blogs, especially as I’m now participating in the 'A to Z challenge' for April #atoz. Thank you for the compliment.

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  4. Colour or Color ???? Great start on your Challenge - you're a very good writer. Good luck with the rest
    Viveka (1931)

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  5. Hi viveka, nice to meet you here - my linky number has changed several times I was 1916, then 1914 & today I've discovered I'm 1881! So I can't find you as 1931, just thought I'd mention it... am confused...

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