Location, Location, Location...

Terrible photo, I know, but do you see? 
A pint, a chippy tea, a sunset, and a 
book. All of life is in Aberystwyth!

A few weeks ago, in my writing group, something exciting happened. It was exciting to me, anyway. It was after I read the prologue of my new book. I'd tried to set up the intrigue of future dramatic events, whilst describing the location of the novel. Without naming the specific place, I'd referenced a few discrete aspects. The early evening sunset, the bandstand on the seafront, and the paddling children, splashing away. That's when the exciting thing happened. (Insert 'Exciting to me' disclaimer once again.) Someone in the group recognised where I had set my story. She'd studied there back in the day, and could name the town I'd described. This was brilliant news. If it only came across as vague and generic, I might as well fictionalise the place, or keep it, well... vague and generic. But it was recognisable to someone that knew the town, so it justified me using a specific, real, mappable location. 

I've been thinking about this a lot. As you read this, I am currently in said location of my story. I'm in Aberystwyth - jewel of the Cambrian coast. It's one of my favourite places in the world. That's the main reason I wanted to set a story there. I know it and like it, so it's fun to mentally imagine being there for a year as I write. But there's more to it than that. At the end of Carry the Beautiful, Tilda left Manchester for a life of scenic travel. The next book picks up a couple of years later, when she has settled somewhere. It made sense to me that Tilda would choose Aberystwyth. It's got all of the coastal beauty she was seeking, as well as the infrastructure of a decent sized town in which to start a new life. Tilda Willoughby is all about the practicalities.

Beautiful Aber.

The location of a story is, I've come to realise, hugely important to me. All my favourite films have a clear sense of place. Whether they depict them realistically or not, the films I am drawn to, make me want to visit the towns in which their stories unfold. I need to be careful though. I don't want to sound pretentious. In the Rom-Com satire, They Came Together, Paul Rudd's character, when recounting how him and his girlfriend met, earnestly tells his friend, 'There was another main character that was just as important as the two of us. New York City.' And yeah, I get the joke. There are plenty of films that showcase a location as if its inclusion is integral to the plot. I don't mind that, though. I like visiting a place vicariously through the screen. Sometimes it makes me want to visit for real. Take Yesterday, for example. It's mainly set in Lowestoft. This is a place I know little about - other than sharing a house with Rob from Lowestoft, once upon a time - but the film makes me want to go. It looks beautiful. Rugged and scenic, blustery and bare. I've no idea if it's like that for real, but the film was all the better for it. Likewise the scenes set in Liverpool make me feel proud of the city. It looked amazing, and for the most part, real. (I have some qualms about the Mersey Tunnel bit! But apart from that.)

All this made me think of the films I love whose location makes them brilliant. I guess I'm trying to justify being so specific in my own writing choices. I think, if I can even pretend to hold my head up amongst these stories, I'm doing OK.

Begin Again (2013)

Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo take on the music industry in New York, over the course of a hot summer. The original music is enough on its own, but the shots of New York are beautiful. You feel the humidity through the screen.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Celine and Jesse meet on a train, get off in Vienna, and walk around the city for a night before parting the next day. The most simple of ideas, executed perfectly, with Vienna looking all sorts of perfect in the background. 

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Inaccurate cultural stereotypes or racism? You decide! Either way, this hasn't aged too well, and that's a shame. Because when you ignore the problematic stuff, the outback scenes are beautiful. This film made me - twelve years after I first saw it - book a four day Red Centre tour of Alice Springs and Uluru. And I don't even do outdoors.

Fisherman's Friends (2019)*

A recent release, this story is the not-unpleasant tale of singing fishermen who land a record deal. I watched it the other day, and found myself immediately transported to Port Isaac in Cornwall. The scenery and sense of community are infectious, carrying what is an OK film into loftier territory.

Shirley Valentine (1989)**

'I'm goin' to Greeece. For two weeeeks.' I can't say that line without exaggerating my scouse accent to the nth degree. I can pretty much recite the whole film. And whilst I've never been to Greece (so far) I feel like I have because of this. I'm usually of the opinion that a film can never be as good as the stage play it came from. That still might be true. But missing out on the shot of Shirley drinking her Retsina by the water's edge as she watches the sun set, feels like a loss to the theatre. And the end scene where a besuited Joe walks past her because he doesn't recognise her? It's stunning.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Two lonely people, isolated abroad. When they find each other, their location opens up too. Instead of viewing Tokyo from behind the glass of hotel windows, they, and us, mingle with people on the streets, at parties, in restaurants, and at one point, in the hospital. It shows Japan's capital to be like nowhere else. I have no idea if it's accurate or whether all sorts of artistic license has been taken. Either way, the location keeps me watching. 

Local Hero (1983)

The opening notes of the theme song are all it takes. I am in Scotland. The rural, northern part. Local Hero is the most beautiful film. It leaves an ache when it's over. The search for the Northern Lights, the community in need of hope, the corporate suits that are humbled but remain outsiders, it's all so raw. I know that the film location itself is a mishmash of several places. It's impossible to visit Ferness as it doesn't exist as seen on screen. That doesn't matter. The film is a gem, and you visit by watching it. Again, and again, and again.

I think I've made my peace with my own writing. I think I'm happy to refer to, describe, and include local knowledge in my story. At this point it's still early days enough to change but I don't want to. It feels all right so I'll keep going. And with that motto for life in place, I'll do just that.

Have a lovely week, folks.

*Image taken from - https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2018/12/watch-fishermans-friends-the-official-movie-trailer/

**Image taken from - https://alchetron.com/Shirley-Valentine-(film)#-