Things that inspire me to write #12: Flat Handbags

As a former bike commuter, I went through a hell of a lot of inner tubes at one time (I swear someone must sprinkle my street with prickles and really rusty nails on a regular basis). However, not once did I see my wheel innards as anything more than dirty dump destined rubber. But this […]

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Things that inspire me to write #13: Six-Word Memoirs

As much as I love J.R.R. Tolkien’s 30-page long descriptions of a dandelion leaf, there is something to be said about the short and concise. You can do a lot with a little and nowhere is that more obvious than in I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure. Every […]

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Things that inspire me to write #14: Jessica Chastain

Studded with enough famous faces and sparkly dresses to launch a period drama, the Golden Globe Awards have never felt any more real to me than any other Hollywood production—until last night. “I have wanted to be an actress since I was a little girl and I have worked for a really long time I’ve […]

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Things that inspire me to write #15: Being a mom

This little baby turned three this week. And sure, I was happy for him and all that, but having been so preoccupied wondering what I could possibly purchase for someone who has just barely cracked into their Christmas windfall, I hadn’t really thought about the significance of my son’s milestone until this morning when I […]

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Things that inspire me to write #16: Elizabeth Bachinsky

Like lottery winners and people who dye heir green and actually make it work, there is nothing like seeing someone you know achieve literary success to make you believe it is possible. Elizabeth Bachinsky is one of these people. Sure, I didn’t exactly exchange LOL texts with Liz (and I’m sure she would be okay with me […]

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Things that inspire me to write #17: The Paper Bag Princess

Her attire is not nearly as entrancing as some of her compatriots, however The Paper Bag Princess has something that most of them don’t: honey badger tenacity. The protagonist of this Robert Munsch story is not only able to pick herself up from the ashes (literally), and outsmart a dragon, but best of all, she stands […]

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Things that inspire me to write #18: New Girl the Novel

Whoot! whoot! for Joan…mostly. I ran into a woman I used to be in a writing group with this afternoon and found out one of the manuscripts she was working on, New Girl during our sessions was released as an e-book last October by Musa Publishing. And despite the initial twinge of envy I admit […]

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Things that inspire me to write #19: Crayons

There is nothing like a box of crayons to blast me with creativity on a grey, bill paying and carpet cleaning winter day. Just looking at all that rainbow potential makes me want to go sprinkle sparkles all over my car and make giant Smartie cookies for dinner. So thank you crayons, you inspire me.

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Things that inspire me to write #20: Cinderella’s dress

Even today, my heart beats a little faster whenever I get my hands on a copy of Cinderella. First I flip to the Fairy Fashion Intervention scene so that I can once again behold that dress, then it’s the picture of her Reunion with the prince (for obvious reasons), then her arrival at the ball, and […]

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Things that inspire me to write #21: The Giving Tree

It’s sweet, simple, a pretty accurate portrayal of what it means to be a parent and according to the inscription scrawled across my mom’s copy, The Giving Tree is the first book I ever read. Evidently Shel Silverstein‘s most well known publication set me off in the right direction, because not only do I still love to consume […]

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