Every end leads to a beginning

The best books are those that ruin my sleep. Thrillers are the worse offenders. That building pressure to find out what happens in a rush to the end leaves me temporarily satisfied, then sad that the adventure is over. Every end leads to a beginning; on to the next book.
Nothing made me happier than to hear from fans of Taylor Kendall: Evil Inc who chastised me for keeping them up too late reading. That's my measure of a stunning book experience. Anything written by Robin Cook does that for me. Whose writing does that for you?
Conventional writing wisdom says "write what you know" and that is true. To that I would add, "write what you love to read".  The genre that captures your imagination, tickles your fancy and thrills down to your toe nails is the type of work that is tailor made for you to write. So get busy, write what you love.
I can't promise that the money will follow but the joy of creativity will flow over you in abundance.

More Gifts for Writers

A writer's "office" tends to be a cramped corner in the home. The right gifts can brighten and expand that space. Start by watching your writer at work. Is the chair a rickety yard sale relic? What about adequate lighting? Any room for files or file boxes near the desk? These are all gifts waiting to be given.

Start at the big box stores (Ikea, Target, Home Depot) to look for modular units that fit into the available space. These stores also have inexpensive shelves to add to side of desk for reference book storage. Even if there is no room for new furniture or wall unit, look for portable files. Staples and Office Depot have small files on wheels that roll up to the desk for accessibility then easily roll back into a closet when the writer is finished for the day. Any of the store mentioned as well as a lamp specialty store have many lighting options. My favorite is the OttLite; full spectrum and cool (not hot but still cool in its own way). Look at JoAnn's Fabrics and similar stores for a floor standing OttLite or desk top.

Any creature comfort that a writer can use in the prime writing space will be appreciated. The gift will also say that you value this writer's work enough to support it with something to enhance efficiency. That message alone is a great gift.

Gifts for Writers

The stocking is empty. . . what to get for your favorite writer? Inspiration, of course. How do you package inspiration? Start with a place, a mood and a feeling.

What place does your writer most often talk about visiting? Hawaii, Paris or Alaska?
If you can't afford the plane ticket for a long weekend get away, then package the place under the tree. Look for items that represent the place.
Paris is an easy start. In a basket gather fresh French macaroons, pastries, a black beret, stripe tee shirt, French perfume or scented candle, tiny replica of the Eiffel Tower, CD of French folk music and a Paris street scene poster. A truly dedicated gift giver will search online or in vintage bookstores for a book in your writer's favorite genre that is autographed by the author.
Now you get the idea - - - surround your writer with an inspiration gift basket and who knows what fabulous fictional ideas will be generated.

Zombies: writers gone wild

Fall brings out the zombie writers wacky tales of the inconsiderate undead. Dedicated zombie writers vehemently argue whether or not zombies eat, drink and make merry (the latter isn't likely considering their gruesome demeanor). I confess to baiting the argument to enjoy the mindless debate (which of course makes sense for zombies).

Character analysis is important for any genre. The personality and actions of a character must either be consistent or the story may spin on the inconsistency. Nonetheless, a writer must intimately know these characters to create believable presentations.

At this season, I cannot resist posing these questions to zombie writers:

• Do zombies have IQ preferences or is it any old brain in a storm?
• Why can't zombies stay out of the middle of the street? Traffic at rush hour is bad enough.
• Do zombies have thumbs or are these snack food between brains?
• Where do zombies rank in the monster pecking order?
• Why can't zombies be gracious enough to stay dead and leave us to the common terrors of taxes, pollution, war and pestilence?

Zombie writers actually have answer for these questions, however, be prepared for a battle of opinions. Perhaps that's the way to get rid of zombies, ask them odd questions about brains like what is the pi of brain?

 P.S. I am a huge fan of the Scott Kennemore's Zen of Zombie: Better Living Thru the Undead. He makes fun of zombies with style, which will clearly make him a marked man when the invasion occurs.