When writing The Solstice Conspiracy, several scenes took place in a watershed. This was a canyon with a waterfall, and rapid stream running through. Giant cedars stretched from the forest floor, their uppermost branches topping the steep canyon walls. I wanted to include the water shed images in my story. Nearby Margaret Falls was just such a place.
I visited Margaret Falls with pen and notebook and made a list. You can do the same thing at an actual place or from memory. Make a list of impressions, how it looks, sounds, smells, feels and even tastes.
The following are some of the my favourite impressions of the falls. I didn’t include everything in the book, but the experience provided much to draw from. Have fun with your descriptions.
- Tenacious tree springs from rock and moss
- Rotted birch logs strewn, paper curling
- Lichen antlers, copper green, feasting on mulch
- A regiment of saplings persist, competing for light, born of a fallen giant
- Striated rock, condensed to stone crepe stacks, sandwich fossils
- Cedar brought down by saw. Counted rings reveal a life long-lived. Rot wipes out the early years.
These observations were accompanied with a strong scent of cedar and the thundering sound of the falls.
A walk to the falls usually takes five minutes, but the time stretched to half an hour stopping frequently to write down what I saw. This is something fun to do with a writing group. Later everyone can share what they’ve written. If you don’t want to travel to a site, rely on memory. For example: Describe your childhood backyard. Once you start, it’s amazing how all your senses are enlivened by your memory. Perhaps that is why writing can be so engaging. -Write a paragraph describing a place using all five senses. Did you capture the essence of the place?
Below is a photo of the path leading to Margaret Falls near Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada
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