Back To Basics For Writing Inspiration

As I mentioned in the last week, I am doing very poorly at meeting my October deadline for finishing my current novel. For many reasons I will not bother to mention. But I decided to recharge my gas tank, and my favorite fuel is research.

I can’t afford to spend a lot of time on research, but there are still many aspects of my novel that need to be researched (despite the tons of time I’ve already put into it). And nothing is more thrilling then reading about Arizona’s rich and colorful history, and about the people who played a part in that history.

Research is what sets my creative juices in gear.

Now a friend of mine says I’m using research as an excuse to avoid re-writing some emotional details in my story. There is some truth to that. I’m not an emotional mushy gushy person myself, and contrary to many writers, it is not easy for me to be mushy gushy even on paper – I don’t use writing as an emotional release the way many writers do.

But that’s only part of the reason. Research truly is inspiring to me. And it’s also essential because, even though we take creative license in our fiction, I consider myself an Arizona Ambassador. I want to get the history right, as much as I am able. Sure I want to avoid getting nasty notes from future readers about how I got this detail or that wrong. But it is more crucial to me because *I* want to know the facts for myself.

So tomorrow I’m going to stack up the books I checked out, go find myself a desk at the library, and spend the day furiously scribbling notes. And since it’s going to be 111 degrees tomorrow and too hot to do anything, a nice day tucked inside the cool library will be doubly satisfying.

Now if the gas prices would just come down so I can afford to take some research trips around Arizona !

And I'd like to toss out a question to this blog's readers. Even if you don't write historicals, what most fascinates you about the state in which you live?

I Have Proof The Western Is Alive and Well

. . .because I went to one of those discount haircut places this weekend.

The result?

I was bushwhacked, scalped, and left for dead.

ARGH!!!!!!

I said chin length. Evidently my chin is up near my ears now. Like any experienced scalper, she'd taken off the hair faster then I could say Zane Grey.

And they say the western is dead. HUMPH!

I may have hardly any hair now, but at least it's more incentive to write. Though I never had a taste for scalping scenes. Now I know why.

Aztec Finally Scores!!!

It's Saturday so my blog today is NOT on a writing topic. In December/early January I wrote about the crushing loss of my beloved black lab, and then the subsequent arrival of my mongrel pup, Aztec, in my life. I also wrote about the trials I was having with the new pup.

It has been a very difficult seven months for both Aztec and I - her and her puppy growing pains, me wishing I had Cody back just about every day. While Aztec and I are slowly bonding, it is by no means the deep bond I had with my lab. There were times I considered giving Aztec up because I just couldn't handle it.

She was always walking in Cody's shadow (and I admit, she still does). She wasn't as smart, as well behaved, as neat, and the list goes on and on. She also has a grating whine that she does - for no good reason - and she does it quite often. It has a fingernails on the chalkboard effect on me. I don't know if its because of her mystery breed (no one knows what she is) or because she's a female (I never had a girl dog before). All I know is that these many factors and my own considerable health trials this year have caused a lot of friction for the pup and I. And it makes me feel guilty. I've never felt so unworthy or inept as a pet owner as I have since bringing Aztec home.

But there was a little ray of light today. Aztec is a pain in the petute about many things. One of my lab's pain in the petute issues was his absolute refusal to cooperate when getting a bath. Yesterday Aztec got into something - I still haven't figured out what - in the back yard and I was left with no choice but to bathe her today because she smelled like something that died.

And I have to give her credit - she was a much better trooper about getting a bath on the back porch then The Codester ever was. A small victory to be sure, but gave us a little stronger ground to walk on together - and hopefully keep building that bridge to a deep bond that will carry us both through for many years.

Now if I could just figure out if there's such a thing as doggie Ritalin. . .