Sightseeing – writers do it their own way.

At least, this writer does. As you probably already know, I’ve not long returned from a trip to New York.  While I was there, I visited the sights and took pictures. But not exactly the conventional tourist stuff.

I started out OK, with pictures of the New York Library, a beautiful building just down the street from the Thrillerfest convention hotel. It reminded me of the buildings of the Civic Center in Cardiff - lots of white columns and statues.

The lions of the New York Library

So far, so good. When I ventured inside I was probably the only person who was wondering where I’d stash the dead body (I hope I was, unless there was another crime writer on the premises) but no one else knew that, so I could keep my quirks to myself.


After that – well, I took pictures, but not of the things tourists are supposed to take pictures of. If I want to study a shot of the Empire State Building I can always find that on line – but street signs, yellow cabs, police vehicles? Maybe, but now I don’t have to worry. If I need it, I have my own photo library of ‘interesting’ stuff. Like the way the buildings tower when you look up from the street - and the perpetual scaffolding that seems to cover half the city.

Skyscraper canyon

Possibly my crowning achievement is a snap of the entrance to a parking garage. Not in the top ten tourist sites to be sure, but for the writer of romantic suspense? My hero/heroine are just as likely to be

So- I'm strange. I'm a writer. 

running for their lives, or their car, diving into a garage on the streets of Manhattan,  as they are admiring the view of the Statue of Liberty. Possibly more likely. And now I have the picture to show me exactly what I should be describing.

Writers look at things differently.

 Or is that just me, then?