A Few of My Favorite People
All of us are actively involved in the writing and reading communities. We’re members of groups like Sisters in Crime[…]
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Author: Robin C. Stuart
Surviving Ransomware Attacks (PSA for libraries…and the rest of us)
It’s not often my worlds collide. Ransomware – malicious programs that lock up files and demand payment to recover – landed at the crossroad of books and cyber crime this month. Libraries are falling victim to attacks.
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The Relatability Test
One question has been asked of me in every interview I’ve given. I’ve heard the same question asked of other authors at book launches, readings, and conferences. “Where do you get your ideas?”
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You Are What You Eat, Character Edition
Food is an interesting subject to write about. We all need to eat, but how and when is circumstantial. A character I’m writing right now demonstrates his love for his wife (one of 2 main characters) by cooking her favorite dish, pasta primavera. Sounds simple, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Then I looked up a recipe.
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Origins of Love (for our writing community)
We can’t let Thanksgiving week go by without a nod to gratitude. All of the Miss Demeanors are involved in the writing community in one way or another – officers of regional or national organizations, podcasters, conference faculty/chairs. It’s pretty clear we each enjoy giving back yet we’re all very busy people. How did you get started down that path?
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Wishing For The Life I Already Have
I had the opportunity to meet up with my fabulous agent in real life a couple of weeks ago, along with one of my mentors. Paula Munier and Michael Neff provide coaching and instruction at an annual writers retreat on the West Coast that’s within (relatively) easy driving distance for me. I got a later start than I planned which added an extra 45 minutes or so to the drive. That gave me a lot of time to ruminate.
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Pawsitive Thinking
My dog has been sick for the last few months. It’s been a process to try to figure out what’s wrong. We started keeping a journal to see if we could figure out the triggers to her symptoms. I mention this because, first, it’s extremely helpful for vet visits, and second, because it’s introduced a level of discipline to make sure my partner and I are consistent and diligent in logging what the dog eats, when, and what happens next.
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When I Grow Up…
I just started reading Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” and a passage from the preface resonated with me: “Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child – What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”
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Like Water for Writers
Driving alongside the Pacific Ocean in Kauai, I listened to a radio show talking about the positive effects of water. Not just the benefits of drinking water, but also seeing it, being in it, and listening to the sounds of waves lap the shore. One of the positive effects discussed on this show was boosting creativity. I don’t know why that revelation surprised me. Most writers I know live near oceans, lakes, and rivers.
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Time Off? Or Just Time Away?
I’m currently enjoying a long overdue vacation on a tropical island. I brought a notebook, pen, and laptop. They’re always with me, like a security blanket. But it’s hard to think of murder and mayhem while I’m staring at waves crashing on a shore, listening to the surf, and trying to turn off my brain for a while.
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