1. Be a bestselling author. (I see this can be short or long-term depending on how well my stories are received, whether I am putting out a quality story, and if I’m being productive enough to keep the stories coming)
2. Do something silly everyday. (Definitely short-term. Remember when you were a kid and you would laugh about nothing at all? Or you would dance around the house in your underwear like you were Madonna or Tom Cruise in Risky Business sliding across the floor? That kind of silliness, I think keeps the stresses of the world from consuming us whole)
3. See my Moonlight Trilogy come to fruition. (To be honest, I have to say long-term on this one, but it is definitely an in progress goal. First book is gearing up for release. Second book has been started, and the idea for the third is in the back of my mind)
4. Be more active in causes. (In progress and can be achieved short-term, but should be long-term as well. One way or another we should show support for the things we believe in. Either through participating in a walk or sleep in, or donating our time. I’m kicking this off with the Komen Race for the Cure, only in my case I’m Sleeping in for the Cure – hey I’m a mom who is typically an early riser and so are the zombie twins)
5. Try to be a better blogger. (Short and long-term. Ah yes…this one has been an ongoing struggle and you’ve watched me. You’ve endured the pain and suffering. I hope to ease that. But I want to blog to blog, not out of obligation or because I have a ‘theme’ day schedule that must be adhered to. My space…my rules right? Right! Therefore, you never know what I may blog about. I do love interviews though. I surely will do more of those)
6. Enjoy everyday. (No one is promised a forever and happily ever after is what you make of it..so make it good. I’m going to say this is another that falls into both short and long-term)

Actually, as I review this list which only scratches the surface of what I aim to achieve in life, there are many goals that can easily fall into both short-term and long-term. I say this because some can be achieved on a short-term, but should be ongoing. Goals that might need to be revisited to gauge your progress or to take stock of where you may be falling short. The thing is to have the goals to begin with and make yourself accountable to them. I’m off to start mine…what are some of your goals?

The avenues I choose to take when feeding my writing soul are by no means a one size fits all approach. However, there are three distinct things I turn to for creative fuel.

Reading ~ when I delve into a book, be it an awesome NYT Bestseller that I can’t put down or a crappy book no one’s ever heard of, there is inspiration and knowledge to be gleaned from those glorious pages. From the character development to the plot, you can learn a lot about what works (or doesn’t) for a particular story. Even better, a book can light a fire under my arse if I’ve been slacking on getting my words on paper.

Movies & Television ~ Stories acted out for a viewer can be a great source of creative fodder. Everything is visual. So depending on what your eye is attracted to, you can see what works or doesn’t work in a story. Sometimes, the characters might not stand out to you as ‘the evil doer’ because of the way the screen/script writer drafted the character. They make the character blend. On the other hand, you have characters that are so in your face that you can’t forget them even if you tried. Settings are another big thing. When you read a book, everything is left to your imagination. If the author did a good job, then your mind can recreate the scene effortlessly. Television and movies leave little to the imagination in that arena, but from an author’s perspective, you can pick apart the setting and try to describe the pieces that really set the scene.

Life ~ Nothing sparks the ‘what if’ game more to me than life itself. For example, let’s say you were on a road trip. Everyone else in the car is sleeping. You’re tired. So you start playing the game to entertain yourself. Here you are, driving down the road, late at night, a long drive. Darkness surrounding you. Two jails set back from the highway. A sign that states hitchhiking prohibited. Tell me that doesn’t just set the minds wheels into motion. Go on I dare you.

It’s always easy to blame the ‘muse’ when it seems the creative well has run dry. Honestly though, she can only work with what we give her. So if I’m not feeding my creative self, then she’s got zilch to go on. There’s only one way to keep her working for me and not against me. I’ve got to feed her with more than just Guinness (though that definitely doesn’t hurt). So tell me what are your tricks to feeding your creative self, or share what book or movie really stood out to you because the story was well told. Better yet, what are you reading now? Me? I’m reading Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore and so far, enjoying it. Sláinte!

Yeah. Nice eye candy after all these years. Oh and yet another hottie post for my darling T! Why? Because we are revving up for JBJ making his Vegas appearance in a couple of weeks. That is going to be a great night! Now, off to have coffee and start my day. Then home to get busy on increasing that word count. I hear you back there. You in the back. Which story? Which story? Taunting me with the unspoken challenge in your words all while I am mid drool here. Truth be told I have a few ideas that are marinating right now.  Zombie slayer story? Perhaps. Second book in my Moonlight trilogy? Could be. Vampire story? Don’t know. Justin’s story to follow up Buckling Down? Possibly, though I will tell you that Justin is being quite stubborn at the moment and has been tied up in the corner until he can play nice. I guess if you really want to know, you’ll have to hunt me down. Have a great Wednesday!

Now tell me what are you fighting for? If you aren’t living the life you dream of, what are you doing to get there? Please share!