This month's IWSG question is, what inspires you when you write a story? I view this as a two-part question. First, the stories themselves are inspired by something. Each of my books was inspired by a life event. That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN was inspired by my experiences as a young mom spending many sleepless nights with my babies. That Mama is a Grouch was born after I tripped over my kids' toys and broke my toe. Even Bubba and Squirt's Big Dig to China was inspired by my desire to dig a hole from Florida to China was I was a kid. (Didn't get very far, because my hole quickly filled up with water.)
The second part of the question is, what inspires me to keep going and finish the story? If you're an author, you know writing a book is hard work. It's one thing to write the first draft. Don't get me wrong—writing the words, THE END is a huge accomplishment! But then you have to revise—to get it as perfect as you can. That's tough! What inspires me to do that? I guess it's the sense of accomplishment I get when I know my work is ready for publication. And the second thing is knowing readers are enjoying what I've written. It makes all the work worthwhile.
What about you? What inspires you to write and keep writing?
Other news:
I'm very excited about the cover for my next book, Bubba and Squirt's City of Bones, set in the catacombs of Paris, France! It looks fabulous!
And finally, my little girl is graduating from college this weekend! I can't believe it! Where does the time go?
