Where do I get my ideas?

If I were a famous author, I’m sure I would have the luxury of complaining that this is the question I am asked time and again. Unfortunately, I’m not famous. Even more unfortunately, no one ever asks me that. But I am going to share anyway.
Some start out as dreams, the kind where you wake up and [...]

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Media Monday, Media Monday. I feel it should have a theme song of some sort. Maybe something along the lines of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. But I digress.
Here is the news story for today:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30640254/
We all remember Face/Off, right? That really schlocky John Travolta/Nick Cage movie from the ’90’s? I remember watching that and thinking, never gonna happen.
Turns out I [...]

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It’s time once again for everybody’s favorite writing prompt, Media Monday! I must admit, when first attempting to come up with a story that didn’t feature the swine flu, I was stumped. But then I remembered this little nugget, about the Virgin Mary Griddle.
http://news.aol.com/article/virgin-mary-griddle-sighting/457483?icid=main|netscape|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fvirgin-mary-griddle-sighting%2F457483
And if that isn’t a great plot starter, or the title of a [...]

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I often wonder if others are better than I am at achieving balance in their lives. I completely suck at it. If I am playing with my children, as enjoyable as that time might be, a small part of my brain is calculating how much writing time I’m losing.
And then there’s that little guy in the [...]

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Does anyone else think that great lyrics are like poetry? Let some inspire you today. If not this song, then another.
“You take it on faith, you take it to the heart. But the waiting is the hardest part.” - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
He’s right. The waiting is the hardest part. So what are you [...]

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And now for our second installment of Media Monday:
http://www.slate.com/id/2216714/
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

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Does anyone else get nervous about letting strangers into your house? I’m sure it’s just my wild imagination, but when confronted with the thought of having someone I don’t know inside my personal space, I immediately begin to think nefarious thoughts.
Take today, for instance. Our sewer was clogged, so I called a plumber. On a [...]

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I often wonder what sort of music other writers listen to while they are writing. I myself choose songs, or artists, that inspire my characters. Those of you familiar with the Dunbar Sister’s mysteries will recall that the local group “The Hedgehogs” are all the rage with Gemma and Ariadne and their friends. Unfortunately, they [...]

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Tomorrow is my birthday. Ten years ago, I might have ended that sentence with an exclamation point. In your thirties, it doesn’t  hold the excitement it once did. Now, my kids provide all the magic.
This past week, I sent my three-year-old on a recon mission to figure out what my husband was giving me. I’ll admit that my [...]

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I woke up with this song in my head this morning.
“And you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I’m insane.” - Billy Joel
Why does that happen? Was I singing in my sleep? Was it on the television before I fell asleep? Maybe I am crazy. [...]

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