...Crystal Caves...

Talk about inspiration. I wonder if this is what Mary Stewart had in mind while writing her Arthurian Saga. This photo alone is enough to make me want to write a story about magical creatures and mystical beings. Throw in some magic beans and...it's truly awe inspiring.

Read more about the Cave of Crystal Giants

(to find out what "magic beans" are, sign up for The Ending Newsletter :)

...Being Grateful...

It's Thanksgiving and, although I am very thankful today, I've been reflecting on what I'm grateful for a lot lately.

In the chaos of life and uncontrollable circumstances, I find myself getting mixed up in a mess of troubling thoughts. Troubling in the way that they prevent me from keeping things in perspective sometimes. I need to remember to take a deep breath and realize it will all be okay. Feelings of frustration, anxiety, anticipation, worry.....yada yada yada, seem to be the primary invaders of my everyday thoughts. It's cumbersome and takes over who I am sometimes. I don't like it and I have to make it stop.

Luckily, things are a-changin'!

Whether it's recognizing what I have and what other's don't, appreciating this wonderful opportunity I've been presented to write (which truly means so much to me), or being able to spend time with the people I love, I've come to terms with the fact that life is great! I am still laughing and enjoying the small things. I am truly so thankful for all I have, and I understand how lucky I am. I'm learning to stop, say "Life, you will NOT get the best of me," and succumb to the warmth I gain from the fact I have everything I could ever need or really want.

The trick to my new-found self-assertiveness?

I ask myself this question and if I don't like the answer, do something about it.

If the world ended tomorrow or next year, would I be happy with how I spent my life?

While it may be an obvious question, it truly is the ultimate question. It provides me the space to look at the last six months of my life and say, "No, I worried too much about the small stuff, got worked up over nothing, and I didn't spend enough time with my friends and family." Problem identified....

I am grateful for the freedom I have to make those decisions for myself and the freedom I have to act on them.

...Considering all things inspirational...

So, as I sit here, plotting or scheming my way into the next make-believe chapter of my writing project, I wonder what it takes to change things up a bit. Sometimes I get stuck in my own head and wonder how I can get out of a morose scene and transition into something more uplifting or vice verse.

What inspires me?

I've decided on two very specific things that always help me get out of a rut. Time away from the computer screen and living life. It's all very simple and I know most authors will say the same. It's still a work in progress, trying to convince myself I need to take a step back and go out and do something else for awhile. BUT...it's super important for me.

For instance...

I go to a restaurant and I see a couple having an intense conversation. My nosy self wants to know what they're talking about. Is it good? Bad? Did someone cheat or lie? Did someone forget to pick up the milk coming home from work? That's when my overactive imagination comes into play. Based on her hand gestures and the pleading look in his eyes, I determine they aren't even married at all, but having and affair and something's gone terribly wrong.

Or perhaps...

You go to a pub and observe a group of people celebrating someone birthday. You think...wouldn't portraying a similar scenario be a great way to show camaraderie among my characters after they've experienced so much loss? Wouldn't giving them something to smile and laugh about be just what they need to feel human again and to have hope?

Animals...

What if you see the color of someone's eyes and you think... "That's perfect for my character!" Or a hair color on a woman you never would've thought about and wallah! There's the antagonist.

Even watching movies and reading is sometimes the inspiration I need to keep writing. Just a change in scenery, watching others as they live their lives, allowing me to live vicariously through them.

Nature...

In all honesty, I've discovered I am not one of those people who has an endless plethora of ideas in my head, just waiting to be plucked out and expanded upon. No, I need inspiration... something to get my creative juices flowing. And I thank people's everyday lives for that!