I don't write about the topic of writing because there are far too many other bloggers (NYT times authors, agents, editors) out there who do a better job at it than I would. But, every now and then, I'll write a little blog about writers.
This is one of them.
The sneaky thing about writers is that they look just like anyone and everyone--yes, you could find them on People of WalMart, because we have to get groceries, too. Remember, sitting at one's computer will cause butticus expandicus unless one actively tries to fix the wide butt problem. Many times, writers will have a crazed look in their eyes as they forget to brush their hair and wander into WalMart in their jammies as they look for toilet paper because they are frantically writing on deadline.
The movie Romancing the Stone did a totally fun job of portraying a romance writer. This is still one of my favorite movies. . . In fact, I haven't seen it in awhile, I need to watch it while I dip about 100 more pieces of caramel today.
So being a writer is basically being undercover. We blend into the masses. We watch everything and anything. We are ghosts who most people wouldn't recognize even if we struck up a conversations with you. We aren't movie stars trying to stay out of the view of the paparazzi. Shoot, they don't care about writers--we already look frumpy, they wouldn't sell photos of a frumpy writer looking even frumpier than usual!
Writers are the people who eaves drop on conversations or who make up stories for people they watch walking in the mall.
Writers tend to see life a little differently than the average person.
And since I write fantasy, I look at everything a little differently. On my evening walks behind the school where my daughter has swim practice, I snapped these pictures. The light was just right the first time I walked past these trees, but when I took the pictures the light had changed just enough for them to lose some of their magic.
This tree has a couple of different 'faces' in it.
The gnarled roots looked like a gnome could find a home in them.
As I mentioned by the time I walked the track (10 minutes) and came back to take this picture, the true magic was gone. The first glance out of the corner of my eye in this second photo, it actually looked like a gnome was blending into the knees of the tree roots.
This tree was the inspiration for GNOME WITHOUT A HOME picture book.
See?
Didn't you wonder where writers get their ideas?
The real answer is everywhere. All it takes is a curious mind and a 'What if?' question.
Later, Peeps!
