NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Monday, January 12, 2015

INSPIRATION?



Jackie

    Inspiration—“affected, guided or roused by divine influence.” That would be similar to actors performing in Beckett’s play "Waiting for Godot." Writers  can't afford to wait for divine influence, we sit down at our computers and begin. At the end of the day, we may tap the delete key, erase every word we wrote and growl at the dog but when the sun rises it’s time to write again.
     Sometimes that ah-hah moment occurs when I try to sleep—perhaps a little tossing and turning jogs and unclogs the creativity in my brain cells—this usually happens long before the first rays peep through the Venetian blinds and I reach for the ever present pad and pen to make a few notes. It’s dark—naturally—the moon is hiding behind a cloud. Do I dare risk turning on a light and waking my mate? I listen...is that a gentle snore I hear? Nothing will wake him now. On goes the light. Wrong—the mate wakes “What?” he asks. “What? What’s wrong?”
     “Oh, god, sorry,” I respond, jump out of bed, throw on a robe, and add—softly and sweetly—“I’ll be right back.”
      I turn on the computer and a flow of words gushes forth like a forgotten magic waterfall. An hour later, I close the office door before his snores--rising to a crescendo--interrupt my work and I return to the keyboard.
     Or stuck, I decide it’s time to take the dog for a walk. On goes his leash, on go my shoes and I look forward to a brisk walk that will dust the cobwebs from my thoughts and enable me to find where I’ve gone wrong. We’re walking briskly, the dog stops short and begins to commune with nature. I wait patiently, I hum a tune and then...Eh, Voila! I have the solution to my problem...where’s my pad? Where’s my pen?
      In an urgent tone of voice I tell the dog “Time to go home.” The dog looks up at me, disappointment and—is that hurt shining in her enormous, long lashed eyes?
     “I’ll make it up to you, I promise, extra walkies tonight.”
     The dog sighs—she’s been through this with me before. We return home, I take off her leash, and toss a handful of biscuits in her bowl before I dash to the computer discarding my coat as I go. I sit down, kick off my shoes and find I’ve retained every word, every sentence that came to me while walking the dog. Ah, inspiration...could thy name be D-O-G?
     I finish a chapter and decide to celebrate by restocking the refrigerator and realize I need everything. I grab my coat, refill my wallet, take the shopping cart, lock the door and—the opening sentence
      Photo courtesy of Robert Lerich Dreamstime Stock Photos
of the next chapter comes to me. What’s food? I unlock the door, throw off the coat, and kick off the shoes. Back to the computer—I’d rather be a starving artist typing away and living on two slices of bread and a lonesome orange.
     Have solutions that propel your story struck you at unexpected moments?

4 comments:

Anne Marie Becker said...

LOL. Love this glimpse into your life - or head. ;) Story ideas and solutions hit me at the oddest times, and yes, often when there's no paper or pen about. I've started taking notes on my iPhone if I'm out. :)

J Wachowski said...

Oh yeah, been there. I have pens & paper squirreled away in my car, my nightstand, my coat pockets, and my (necessarily) ginormous purse.

:)

Elise Warner said...

Purse get larger. Paper multiplies.
Such is the life of a writer.

Rita said...

My goodness yes! Most of the time they are gone before I can find something to write with. Solution carry a note pad and pen attached to your body. LOL!

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