Many of Mark Twain's characters were written with specific people in mind. His childhood sweetheart Laura Hawkins became Becky Thatcher. (More on her in a later post.) He also fashioned the settings in his novels after the places he lived. St. Petersburg, MO, is the fictitious town in
Tom Sawyer that is one hundred percent Hannibal. Mark Twain's eye for detail in his very hometown made him one of the greatest writers of all time.
When I do a little sightseeing downtown, people usually ask me where I'm from, because I'm always taking photos. Every time I go exploring, something new catches my eye.
(The "M" got cut off in this pic in the process from phone camera to page.)
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| Mark Twain Museum-side view |
I can never get enough architecture: windows, doors, staircases, old buildings
. My kids think I'm crazy. I even take photos when stopped at a red light or out of the window while I'm driving, which I highly do not recommend unless you're pretty good at it like I am.
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| Yes, I took this one out the car window, but it's in the middle of nowhere. |
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| Welcome to the back roads of Hannibal. |
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| the famous hat for sale in every establishment |
Do you ever write about your childhood or the people you grew up with or the experiences you've had as a kid or a teenager? I do--all the time.
That's really cool. My contemporary pieces usually did revolve around my city...it's also a pretty boring city, so...lol
ReplyDeleteHannibal can be pretty boring too! It's fun to make fiction interesting.
DeleteI love architecture too. I'd go crazy with my camera if I ever went there.
ReplyDeleteI want one of those hats! ;)
I know! My boys had those hats when they were young. I miss those days:)
DeleteI do use my general area, but I fictionalize the places the main characters actually live. Great photographs.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
DeleteI suppose we all write with people and places we know in mind. They don't come out as they really are, but there are touches of them in the writing. You live in very interesting place. Loved the photos.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to separate fiction from fantasy. Thanks!
DeleteI definitely take my life experiences and thrust them into my writing, be they pertaining to people or things. Thanks for another awesome post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
DeleteMy wife has an eye for detail. And yes, she will take photos while she's driving!
ReplyDeleteha! I'm not the only one:)
DeleteThe photos are stunning. They really paint a scene and create atmosphere!
ReplyDeleteI do remember some pretty fine detail in Tom Sawyer. Taking pictures while driving is quite a skill!
ReplyDeleteThey make their way in, although unrecognizable as I write fantasy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the characters then?
DeleteYou take some great photos!
ReplyDeleteI love your angels.
Great posts, Jenny!
I always add a little flavor of my current city or parts of my family life into my stories.
Heather
Thanks!
DeleteThanks!
DeleteI didn't know Mark's characters were inspired by real people ... thanks for sharing :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of family in Missouri and I'd love to visit that museum someday!
ReplyDelete