Stressed?

Now that the holidays are a fond memory, the long weeks of winter seem even longer. Perhaps it is because of the shortened daylight hours, but the days seem to go on for forever. Each day seems bleaker than the one before, making people testier than usual. Add to that a long day at work and it is the perfect recipe for stress.

Many suggestions by noteworthy sources tell us how to cope with "cabin fever", as it is often called. Taking walks, getting exercise, and changes in diets are touted on being the cure. Honestly now, who wants to take a walk when it is ten degrees outside and there is a wind whipping frozen rain in your face?

The thing that seems to help to relax me the most is listening to music for half an hour before dinner. Any music will do, from Bach to the Beatles. The thought of small respite at the end of the day starts to relax me even before I have left the office. It has also become a wonderful time to talk and to reconnect with my husband. No chatter about what went on at work, no complaining about the traffic, just quiet chitchat about what to plant in the garden come spring and where to go for summer vacation.

Sometimes, of course, schedules and deadlines rob me of this precious chill-down time, and that is when I have a restless night followed by a miserable day due to lack of sleep. When that happens, I spend a little extra time with my music and everything is once again all right with the world.

How do you, gentle readers, relax after a long stressful day? Inquiring minds want to know.

Where Do You Get Creative Inspiration?

At every book signing, one of the questions I can always count on being asked is: "Where do you get the idea for your books?".

My books, much to my publisher's chagrin, do not follow the current popular trends. If they did, I would no doubt be a more successful author. Instead, I follow my heart. My characters all have a basis in reality. Some are even modeled after friends (names have been changed to protect the innocent, she says with a smile and a wink).

I also find inspiration for characters and situations in the news. The short story that recently ran on my website was about a man who worked on oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, I am writing a story about a soldier on leave in Paris.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, if you let it. Anything from a song to a movie to the weather can be the spark for a story. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein during a cold and dreary summer in Switzerland. Had the weather been better, would we have had one of the greatest monster in literature?

Imagination is also a contributor to creative inspiration. Without imagination, Jules Verne would not have pioneered the science fiction genre, and without science fiction would man have dreamed of going into space or exploring the oceans?

Over the years, there has been a mellowing toward certain characters as well. Anne Rice took the feared vampire and turned him into a tragic romantic figure. Stephanie Meyers took it a step further and made her character Edward Cullen a sex symbol.

So, my fellow writers, think for a moment. Where do you get the inspiration for your books? Share your thoughts here; inquiring minds want to know.