Scot Fin's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"

My imagination, Paris and Elton John, how do they all come together.
First, as a writer having completed my first novel (Ralph and the Girl From Mayfair Towers), I felt it time to become involved in blogging as well. I know my way around computers and programs; social media, however, not so much. So, here is me taking a shot at blogging.
Having completed that first novel, I got to thinking about imagination. Where did all those things I wrote come from? I have also recently returned from a trip to Paris. The main reason for this particular trip to Paris was to see an Elton John concert. From my interests you will see Europe travel is high on the list and Paris is a regular destination since my wife had whisked me off quite a few years ago to briefly (too briefly) live there (actually the wonderful Isle de France banlieue of St. Germain en Laye, perhaps the topic of future blogs or perhaps the future residence from which to blog and write).
As such, Paris is a regular destination and, in December, a destination to see an Elton John concert. Wonderful concert; Elton’s still got it, and a wonderful venue, the Olympia, good size and acoustics to really enjoy a great performance.
So what does Elton John and my imagination have to do with each other? Not so much really, but one old song (don’t tell Elton I used the term old, would not want him thinking himself old) did get me thinking about how imagination works or at least the similarity to how my imagination might work and my perception of how Elton John’s might have worked for this particular song. The song is the early 1970’s song ‘Benny and the Jets.’ The question is who are the Jets? Now certainly the Jets in the song are a fictitious Rock n Roll band. From my memory, which could be somewhat distorted from the early 1970s, I remember a story about that song, which Mr. John could correct if my memory is truly distorted and he happened to see this. You see, I’m Canadian and know a little bit about Winnipeg, Canada. Winnipeg has an NHL team called the Jets (New York Jets were not part of this story). In the early ‘70s Winnipeg also had a hockey team called the Jets, not NHL but an offshoot league, the WHA. The WHA in general and the Winnipeg Jets in particular, were best known for having lured a prominent NHL player, Bobby Hull, to play for them and provide some credibility. The story, as I remember it, is Elton John, Bobby Hull, the rest of the Winnipeg Jet team and their owner where all in, I believe, New York at the same time although certainly there was no tie in to Elton John and the team. A newspaper headline, however, did have an impact on Elton John or someone associated with Elton John. It was about the Winnipeg Jets and their owner. The owner of the Winnipeg Jets, well, his name was Ben Hatskin. You may see where this is going, the headline, Benny and the Jets.
Elton John did perform this song at the concert I attended, and, in my mind I sang (you would not want to hear me sing out loud), ‘Hatskin, Hatskin, Hatskin and the Jets.’ Now, unfortunately, Elton and I were not able to hook up after the concert so I couldn’t confirm my memory. He seemed he might be a little busy and my wife and I had the walk back to our apartment so meeting up just didn’t work out.
I, however, can just imagine those catchy lyrics forming in Elton John’s head. The factual headline, Benny and the Jets, Ben Hatskin, owner, Winnipeg Jets WHA hockey team leading off into a totally unrelated song about a fictitious Rock n Roll band. And there I see my imagination, perhaps imagination in general. Some factual, real event catching the mind but leading off in some other interpretation. As I write, real experience, real memories or real events cross my mind but lead off into true unrelated fiction. I think those realities are taken over by my imagination and, voila (to keep with the French theme here), that is where the fiction that I write comes from.

There is a quote from Author Elizabeth Bowen that caught my attention.

Characters are not created by writers. They pre-exist and have to be found – Author Elizabeth Bowen.

I facetiously asked myself about my main character and who found who. Did the fictitious Ralph find me for me to write his (fictitious) stories or at least one so far? Sure …

But I do think Elizabeth Bowen had a point here. Whether it be a main character or others, my characters all exist somewhere in reality. None are any one individual. None of my characters are any specific people I know. They are all elements or characteristics combined from a number of individuals that I have crossed paths.

Elizabeth Bowen
was an Irish born novelist who lived a number of years in London. I often place a special interest on authors who live or have lived for a period in places that interest me. Whether that impacts how I feel about that writer depends on many other facts.

One of those other factors about author Elizabeth Bowen is recurring commentary about a ‘theme’ that seemed to captivate her. I have seen a number of references to

“life with the lid on and what happens when the lid comes off.”

Apparently this is a theme that influenced much of her writing. Now that is an intriguing concept. To date, I have not actually read anything she had written. Elizabeth Bowen, however, in now certainly on my ‘to read’ and ‘to read soon’ list.



Given her association with London, I had to incorporate a bit of London into her quote. This spot in St. James Park would be a good place to contemplate characters, read, write or relax. I’m not sure if Elizabeth Bowen frequented this area of London during her time there but I’d think she found many characters in London.

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on,” Albert Einstein.
I had these books with me when I looked up into the trees. Of course I always just walk around with these classics because you never know when I might need them for some inspiration. Here’s hoping, however, some literary creativity gets passed on to me through them.

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