Writing espionage
Apr. 16th, 2004 11:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deviI had an adventure yesterday. Involving spying, trespassing and other possibly naughty things.
Because of all this agent stuff I'm rewriting my last year's Nano. The main character lives in Shepherd's Bush, mostly because it's where I used to live, so I decided to head over there after work (it wasn't much of a detour) and refresh my memory as to just how grimy and noisy the place is. So I walked around the Green with my notebook, thinking yes, it's still grimy, nodding to the tramps drinking their strong cider, and getting funny looks from passers-by as I sat on a bench staring up at the old deserted Pavilion and scribbling.
Main character lives in a particular tower block on the south side of the Green. There are logistical reasons for this. So I thought I'd snoop around there a bit too. It's a private block, of course, and I only meant to walk around the outside and imagine what you can see from the top. But as I passed the door a woman was coming out, and I thought, why not? She looked a bit suspicious as I went in, but didn't say anything, and I got into the lift with a nice old couple. They looked like they might want to start a conversation and ask me who I was, so I stared vaguely into the middle distance until they got off, and then went on up to the 19th floor...
And it was perfect. Beyond-my-wildest-dreams perfect.
Main character is not at all a happy person. For years now everything's gone wrong for him. I didn't want him to live in a place that would cheer him up every time he came home. But this place... Horrible blue-green shiny stippled paint on the walls, like you get in schools and hospitals. Streaky brown tiles. Weak yellowish light. Smell partly burnt rubber and partly toilet. But - this is the best bit - there was a David Lynch Hum! No wonder the poor boy is so unhappy.
(If you've never seen a David Lynch film, a) do, and enjoy the sensation of him doing macrame with your brain; b) there's a constant low hum on the soundtrack that makes you nervous no matter what's going on on screen. He can be panning around a corner covered with pretty flowered wallpaper and you're convinced there's something horrid on the other side, all because of the hum.)
So there I was, gazing around me in wonder and suppressing squeaks of delight. A large woman with even larger hair came out of the lift and glared at me, and I remembered I was trespassing and dived into the stairwell. (Which was just as perfect - grids around the nineteen-floor drop to discourage jumpers, which if you bumped into them would vibrate for ages, going very well with the hum). I sat there drawing a floor plan, wondering how I'd explain myself if anyone caught me. Then I heard heavy footsteps approaching the stairwell door. A large bunch of keys jingling in time. I froze. Nearer the footsteps came... nearer still...
So I just nipped down to the 18th and caught the lift to ground level. I suppose it was only exciting if you were there.
But the hum! Yay for the hum! (I think it was the lift motor.)
Because of all this agent stuff I'm rewriting my last year's Nano. The main character lives in Shepherd's Bush, mostly because it's where I used to live, so I decided to head over there after work (it wasn't much of a detour) and refresh my memory as to just how grimy and noisy the place is. So I walked around the Green with my notebook, thinking yes, it's still grimy, nodding to the tramps drinking their strong cider, and getting funny looks from passers-by as I sat on a bench staring up at the old deserted Pavilion and scribbling.
Main character lives in a particular tower block on the south side of the Green. There are logistical reasons for this. So I thought I'd snoop around there a bit too. It's a private block, of course, and I only meant to walk around the outside and imagine what you can see from the top. But as I passed the door a woman was coming out, and I thought, why not? She looked a bit suspicious as I went in, but didn't say anything, and I got into the lift with a nice old couple. They looked like they might want to start a conversation and ask me who I was, so I stared vaguely into the middle distance until they got off, and then went on up to the 19th floor...
And it was perfect. Beyond-my-wildest-dreams perfect.
Main character is not at all a happy person. For years now everything's gone wrong for him. I didn't want him to live in a place that would cheer him up every time he came home. But this place... Horrible blue-green shiny stippled paint on the walls, like you get in schools and hospitals. Streaky brown tiles. Weak yellowish light. Smell partly burnt rubber and partly toilet. But - this is the best bit - there was a David Lynch Hum! No wonder the poor boy is so unhappy.
(If you've never seen a David Lynch film, a) do, and enjoy the sensation of him doing macrame with your brain; b) there's a constant low hum on the soundtrack that makes you nervous no matter what's going on on screen. He can be panning around a corner covered with pretty flowered wallpaper and you're convinced there's something horrid on the other side, all because of the hum.)
So there I was, gazing around me in wonder and suppressing squeaks of delight. A large woman with even larger hair came out of the lift and glared at me, and I remembered I was trespassing and dived into the stairwell. (Which was just as perfect - grids around the nineteen-floor drop to discourage jumpers, which if you bumped into them would vibrate for ages, going very well with the hum). I sat there drawing a floor plan, wondering how I'd explain myself if anyone caught me. Then I heard heavy footsteps approaching the stairwell door. A large bunch of keys jingling in time. I froze. Nearer the footsteps came... nearer still...
So I just nipped down to the 18th and caught the lift to ground level. I suppose it was only exciting if you were there.
But the hum! Yay for the hum! (I think it was the lift motor.)
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 03:47 am (UTC)We could have walked past each other last night - I wandered across the bush (well, along the short side) to catch a bus home around 7pm last night.
next time, prod me first and I'll let you know if I'm around?
no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 04:16 am (UTC)And I have a cousin who has an apartment in Holland Park, very close to Shepherds Bush.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 05:34 am (UTC)Sproutlore link to my Brentford site, originally they'd added it themselves and then had to make it a self-submission...
My road appears on page 26 of 'The Antipope', if that's a clue...
no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 04:20 am (UTC)So good!
I've done similar things myself in the past, scouting out what shops are near to the housing where my characters live... Brilliant fun!
no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 06:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-20 04:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-22 05:18 am (UTC)But yes, risky but could work...