Category Archives: Music, Movies, and other Muses

A line from a song, an image from a film, an unexpected moment of beauty in everyday life – my mind absorbs them all

Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses by

Since it’s the season for buying lots of stuff to give to other people, I’m composing a short list in support of buying a book as a gift for your friend, family member, or even co-worker who you don’t really like. You can buy one of my books, or spend your money with other authors for this Christmas. There are so many good books to choose from!

So here’s my list of Christmas shopping tips, and why I think you should spend your money on books:

Books are the gifts that keep on giving. A good story, or even a good non-fiction book, can be enjoyed again and again, and can be enjoyed by multiple people for years after the moment of the giving.

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Inspiration from Nature

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I’ve always been inspired by nature. Even if a nature scene doesn’t feature in what I’m writing on any given day, I still find my mind both calmed and awakened by a garden full of flowers, a shady path in a forest, a line of majestic mountains. 

Earlier in May of this year, I was inspired—and awed, amazed, stunned, impressed—by an unusual natural view. I—and much of the rest of the planet—witnessed an incredible aurora display, the result of one of the most powerful geomagnetic solar storms in the past twenty years. Many people at latitudes that normally don’t get to see aurora got to see the Northern and Southern Lights. 

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Story Prompts and Inspiration

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses, Writings about Writing by

Story ideas can come from anywhere. A photo, a song, a snatch of overheard conversation, a stroll through a garden, someone else’s book cover—the smallest thing can often prompt the germ of an idea. 

I don’t usually use story prompts—at least, not the type of story prompt that’s an actual premise. Nothing against that sort of story prompt. A hundred awesome books by a hundred different people can come from a single sentence prompt. Books, blogs, and online generators can be a great help to anyone who wants to try something new or even just needs help getting unstuck. 

I’ve had my share of getting stuck on projects, and for me, one of the best ways to prompt myself into writing again is to look at pictures. I also use music as inspiration a lot, but a picture can usually give me more concrete ideas. 

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Christmas Books

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses by

Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I have numerous favorite Christmas books, just like I have a list of favorite Christmas movies (White Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol are two that I have to see every year).

I wrote a post a few years ago about some of my favorite Christmas books. This post is similar – just a showcasing of some beautiful holiday stories that I like to display and read at this time of year.

I hope you enjoy! Have you read any of these books? What are some of your Christmas favorites?

A display on top of one of my bookshelves

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