Today in the “Indigo” novel, I’m writing about the Ice Storm of 1998 in Ottawa. Tara was just 17 during that storm. So…of course, Indigo has to also be 17 and living through the ice storm. I told you this was a different write for me. It’s not a biography but a fiction based on someone’s life. Now, just for perspective…I lived in Ottawa, (well Russell which is just outside Ottawa), for five years. And I left in August 1997, just before the big storm. But we had a house that we didn’t sell because of the poor real estate market at the time. So I lived through the ice store via the tenants living in our house and our insurance company. Yes, we had to get the roof repaired and the house repainted and lots of other things. And our maple tree split in half. I put that image in the novel because I have the photos still. I loved that tree. And I’m also remembering so much through our wonderful neighbours, Karen and Bill Campbell and the Logan’s across the street. Years later, I’m writing a book about a young girl who lived in Ottawa during the ice storm. Memories, memories. The entire process of writing this book is serendipitous. Tara always tells me there is no such thing as a coincidence!!
Haha. I’m learning a lot from her while writing this novel about her life.