We’ve all been there: suddenly, the old muse just isn’t showing up as much as they used to. You’re in a rut and writing is starting to feel all-too-much like work. What–if anything–can you do about it? Here are some of the many ways you can re-inspire yourself and get back in the mood to…
This one’s science fiction/fantasy from Michael G. Williams. I enjoyed it mostly because it’s set in San Francisco and features none other than the beloved Emperor Norton. There’s also a transgender witch and her Chinese lover, who call up the shade of the Emperor and are trying to take the city back from the control…
This is a murder mystery by Gretta Mulrooney and I enjoyed reading it. It’s one of a series and I haven’t read the others, but I may pick them up on my Kindle now that I know I like the hero. I picked this one because it’s set in Wales and a friend who’d lived…
I’ve been reading out of my typical genre lately for the local library’s Winter Reading Challenge, so I picked up this Gothic mystery, supposedly the first modern detective story ever written. The book was first published in 1868, so you do have to slog through some pretty archaic language and plot techniques, but overall, it’s…
March 2 question – Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not? The first time I wrote a sex scene, I was conflicted as to how far I should take it. There’s a fine line between erotica and…
OK, it’s not really a planned research, but you use whatever you learn, right? Spent 8 hours in the ER last Monday with chest pains. Specifically, I kept telling them it was stabbing pains when I tried to breathe. After an EKG and chest x-ray, the urgent care place sent me to the ER for…
This is a sci-fi book by Catriona Silvey. I enjoyed it, even though it has some very sad bits. The book is about two people (Santi and Thora) who keep reincarnating and running into one another and various other people (plus one cat and a parakeet). In time, they begin to remember their other lives…
Just finished watching a thought-provoking sci-fi film based on a Robert Silverberg short story. The movie stars Leslie Odom, Jr & Cynthia Erivo as lovers whose lives are disrupted by the time-traveling vacations of their uber-rich friend, played by Orlando Bloom. Seems he still loves Cynthia’s character after their divorce and is trying to go…
It’s the first Wednesday of the month, so it’s time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post! This month’s question: Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn’t around anymore? Anyone you miss? My family never really understood me or my creative needs, so the fact that my parents are gone doesn’t…
I’ve signed up for my local library’s Winter Reading Challenge. We have a “Bingo” board of things to read and do, and if you fill a row, column, or diagonal, you are entered into a contest and may win a prize. If you complete the whole board, you get extra chances. Guess which one I’m…