#RRBC #Spotlight for Lizzie Chantree!!

Writing and nature

By author Lizzie Chantree

Artists and writers have been inspired by nature for as long as I can remember and I often photograph, paint or write about a particular view that sparks my imagination. I paint huge landscapes, which I hope engage conversation between friends and family of the homes they now adorn. My latest novel, Finding Gina a set in a field of bluebells next to a winding river, overlooked by a majestic manor house. The field is based on a place I often go to write, which has beautiful scenery for miles around. There is a tree there, right in the centre of my field, where I can sit and enjoy the view. I have built a bench in a circle around the base of the tree and I call it my thinking tree!

Finding somewhere that helps the flow of ideas is so important to the creative industry. Many businesses with design teams build a natural environment for their staff to work in that sparks inventiveness and increases productivity. Plants around the office or home can have a similar effect as they put more oxygen into the room and keep you more alert, unless of course you are tired from a long day building your story and require a few hours of soundless sleep!

Finding Gina: Excerpt:

Lewis decided he needed to finish the article in hand. It was, after all, what kept the roof over his head and the new mortgage he had taken out to cover the building work, paid. He was sure that most people were surprised to see a man like him coming out of a picture perfect cottage like this, with his messy hair and lopsided spectacles. He really should get them fixed as he was sure he was walking round with his head to one side most of the time to stop them falling off!

He would have to sell his next article to pay for new glasses; the rest of his money went on the restoration of Aunt Honey’s cottage. The cottage was nestled deep into a field on the edge of a river, which eventually wound its way out to sea. There were a few other houses dotted along the riverbank, but none as pretty as Honey’s. She had planted Honeysuckle all around the base of the house and it sent you a fragrant welcome as you opened the door. In the field beyond, true to their love of plants, Lewis’s grandparents had planted waves of bluebells and wild poppies, all the way to the water. It was like a painting and a feast for the eyes. He had spent hours laying amongst them as a child, writing in his notebook, and then letting the sun’s golden rays wash over his body.

Follow Lizzie Chantree on Social Media:

Twitter handle: @Lizzie_Chantree

Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/lizziechantree/

Website address: https://www.writewithsydney.co.uk

Any additional means of contact: Blog: https://www.lizziechantree.com