Saturday, August 7, 2010

Inspiration from Good Books

When I was a teenager, I used to be an avid reader of the Mrs. Polifax mysteries. I read and felt like I was on an adventure with her. This is how I long to write. For so long, I've been writing the facts of life. I naturally and easily write the non-fiction but there is a part of me that longs to write fiction and not just any fiction. I want to combine comedy, mystery, suspense and romance into a novel that people drewl over and stay up all night reading.  Is that even possible?

I love, love, love old-fashioned murder mysteries. I adore comedy. I can only write that when I'm overtired and then I don't know I'm funny until the morning after. Then there's the suspense. I've been told I have no poker face. Maybe I can get over this in writing since people will not see my face... and romance, well, certain kinds of it I enjoy. Some of it is so unrealistic. Is that my non-fiction writer voice coming through?

In addition, how will I ever make writing anything more than play if I can't find time to write until my brain is a white screen of static? In years past, my creative brain was on full force and I wrote all the time, everywhere about anything and everything. I even had some writing published. It wasn't bad either. So what shall I do to wake up my sleeping  muse? Well, if you can't write it, read it.

I'm back into Mrs. Polifax mysteries again and loving it. I figure that I might as well begin where I first started. Maybe that will inspire me.

What do you do when you just seem stuck? I hear people say that they never have a problem with this because they are true writers and they always write. I always want to write and I seem to write in spurts.  Sometimes it's all or nothing, Baby.

For now, I will inspire myself by reading some good books. I shall put up the "DO NOT DISTURB"  sign. Mrs. Polifax and I shall have tea.