Life Imitates Art?

 

Wrangler Liz and I went on our first post-covid writing retreat last week and what a blessing it was to be together! We wrote and we ate and we talked and we ate and we walked and we ate and... well, you get the picture. Lots of good conversations and processing about our individual stories. It is amazing how much just talking a plot line out with Liz helps me be a better writer. 

So here's my life imitates art story from our retreat. As y'all may or may not know, my little fictional river town of River's Edge is inspired by the town of Madison, Indiana--a charming town down on the Ohio River. That's where Liz and I rented a VRBO for four days for our retreat. We'd been there before and it's always a delight to go to Madison. The town is full of history and fun shops and good restaurants and of course, the River Walk--a lovely path along the shore of the Ohio River. 

Last time we were in Madison about three years ago, I think--maybe four years--we saw an old abandoned cotton mill right on the riverfront as we were walking the River Walk. It was an eyesore, all dilapidated with broken windows and weeds growing up around it. We agreed it was a shame that creepy old building hadn't been renovated in a town where renovation is the lifeblood of a community that depends on tourism for its survival. We both thought someone should buy it and turn it into...well, something else.

In my imaginary town of River's Edge, I included a storyline about an old cotton mill that Mayor Meg Mackenzie encouraged the town to sell to a hotelier from Indianapolis, which they did and now in the newer stories, the Cotton Mill Inn and its restaurant, Whitney's, and the bar, Eli's, play a role in the setting of the stories. It was a fun renovation to write.

Imagine our surprise when, as Liz and I walked along the River Walk one evening, we met some sweet ladies who informed us that the old cotton mill on the riverfront in Madison was being  turned into... you guessed it! A hotel! And 80-room hotel and conference center! I literally squeed with delight! My story idea is happening in real life! Fiction became real! 

The renovation of the old Eagle cotton mill

Now obviously, I doubt this renovation is happening because of Meant to Be, Book 2 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery, which is where Mayor Meg promotes turning the old building into a hotel. As a matter of fact, the article about the real renovation came out before the book was published, so clearly, my story had nothing to do with it. But I like to imagine my story did have an effect... and whether it did or it didn't, isn't it amazing that Madison is getting a new hotel and conference center, just like River's Edge did? I think Liz and I will have to stay there or at least visit it on our next trip to...River's Edge!

Stay well and stay safe, mes amies, and most of all, stay hopeful!