Wands, Woods and Wings

Here we are, the long anticipated next entry in this blog adventure! Apologies for the delay and for the combining of April and May’s entries, but I promise this is all for good reason. With so many exciting and inspirational events happening recently, both writerly and otherwise, it seemed only fitting to combine these together into an expanded explorative piece of fun escapades. So, without further ado, I shall begin…

As hinted in my previous entry, I recently visited the birthplace of, in this budding writer’s opinion, the greatest fantasy franchises of all time - or at least the film adaptations. Of course I am talking about the Harry Potter universe, namely the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter.

This was an amazing weekend with my boyfriend which began with a stop at London on the first day. This city is particularly inspirational with its scenery, landmarks and museums, of which we visited Hyde Park, the area around the Houses of Parliament and The Natural History Museum. It is both humbling and mesmerising to not only see where governmental laws are forged but to witness the colossal creatures that once walked our world and the great elemental powers dictating our eco-system all in one place. Combined with the gorgeous sunny weather, this visit kickstarted the joyous weekend in such a great way.

After an overnight stay and breakfast in a hotel, we headed from the city on a branded bus, showing the first film on the journey no less, to the studios themselves. There is no greater motivation for a writer than to see where their craft has taken others, and where it could take themselves. All throughout the tour I kept thinking “all of this stemmed from the mind of one author. Look at what is possible with the passion to write.” I absolutely loved the day, from the interactive exhibits, to the incredible sets and even the minute details in the most fragile of objects and costumes. There is a general buzz from every Potter fan in the building, especially as we are all walking in the footsteps of the actors who performed there years ago. As a lover of magical creatures, I especially adored the areas devoted to them - namely the hippogriff and dragons. I mean, who would not love a giant winged reptile hanging from the ceiling above you as you eat a particularly scrumptious brownie? The studio is constantly evolving and adding new features, making it a pleasure to return after a few years to see the exciting new developments. I always return with a huge smile on my face and a massive incline of writing motivation … not to mention a bag full of goodies from the enormous themed gift shop. I implore everyone to visit, even if you are not a fan of Harry Potter as such. Just marvelling at the skills of the team behind the films and tour is a wonder to behold.

(Be sure to scroll through the gallery below to see some of my favourite snapshots from our trip!)

From one fictional legend to another, my next adventure took me and my family to Sherwood Forest, the home of a local legend. Now, visiting woodlands is one of my favourite things to do, not just for the fresh air and the exercise but because of their calming nature - if you will excuse the pun - and the surge of inspirational I feel once there. Sherwood Forest has a particular draw for me due to the many stories tied to it relating to Robin Hood and his friends and foes. It is a tale many across the world know and love, robbing the rich to feed the poor. I think it is a message of hope and righteousness we all like to relish in. For me especially, it is inspiring to have this story of an acclaimed archer in my local area when I myself am an archer. You already know I purchased many an archery themed item to take with me to my practice sessions, as well as to aid me in the getting into character for my novella (more on this below). There is dispute as to whether the character himself lived, or whether ‘Robin Hood’ is simply a concept passed between many who did exist, but one thing I know to be true is how his story lives at the heart of this county and it is one I am very proud of.

(Take a gander at some snaps below. You will recognise some from my Instagram page too!)

In terms of my novella, I will admit this has taken a back bench. This was partly due to my run in with Coronavirus, which I am fully recovered from now, but mostly whilst I maintain a new routine in terms of my archery practice and my new career. Of course for security and safeguarding reasons I cannot delve into this too much, but I realise now just how right a choice working within a school environment has been for me. It is true I am still uncertain where my work path leads, although there is one thing I am certain of. Experience is crucial for aiding in important decisions, and in a variety of areas. Combined with my office experience, I know I am on the right track to do what is right for me. I am absolutely loving my job so far and I know once I am settled it will provide me with that extra push of inspiration to create worlds within writing books that appeal to them as successfully as possible. That is the goal, anyway. Whether I remain working in schools or decide to head down the book publishing avenue, I am trusting in the gut feeling reassuring me this is where I am meant to be right now.

This is where I take a breather and end this entry, allowing you to digest all you have just read. It has been a busy but extremely fun month and a half and I am proud to say my mindset is at an all time high! I have a job and career path I adore, opportunities to write ahead of me and the best people around me, friends, family and co-workers alike. With a lot happening in the world currently it is nice to feel extremely lucky with and thankful for what I have and to help others as much as I can. As such I end this entry with a message of happiness, health and hope, something which I hope you, reader, receive through these words. I wish you all the best and I shall see you in June for my next entry. (As a little teaser, I shall be delving into a little side project involving both writing and drawing…)

Until next time,

Emily