Guest Post on Thoughts in Progress!

I had the pleasure of guest posting on Mason Canyon's wonderful book blog, Thoughts in Progress, today. Mason's prompt-questions were very inspiring and a pleasure to think through, particularly those about the messages behind my novel, Barefoot Girls. I don't think anyone sits down to write a novel with a specific message, but it's fascinating to discover what themes came through as the work was created; things that usually are very meaningful to the writer.

What a great experience - thanks, Mason!

Check it out here:
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/2012/04/author-tara-mctiernan-voracious-reader.html

Ebook Drama

John Scalzi, that talented science fiction writer and very smart man, wrote a brilliant article on his blog about ebooks that I think all people who love books should read. Check it out here:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/04/12/dear-consumers-who-apparently-think-the-current-drama-surrounding-ebooks-is-like-a-football-game/ 

Here is something he said that hit me in the solar plexus and made me want to blog about it. Commenting about the various players (including Amazon, major publishing, Apple, etc.)  in the current ebook drama unfolding due to the Department of Justice's case against Apple and five major publishers, Mr. Scalzi wisely said, "Each of these companies are interested in making it appear that they are on your side, or at the very least, will wish to validate your choice to be on their side. Please be smarter than that. Recognize that they love you for your money."

Exactly. 

There is a battle going on for readers' pocketbooks, pocketbooks that seem to be growing as more and more people are discovering how incredibly convenient, lightweight, and affordable ebooks are. All these players had no idea that there was so much money in ebooks and they want as much as they can get their hands on. And they will do whatever

How Do You Get Your Inspiration?

I've recently been asked the following question a number of times: "How do you get your inspiration?"

This is a time-worn question to writers along with the well-meant-but-still-insulting, "Where do you find the time to write?" (Apparently, we writers have just so much time on our hands! It's remarkable! Yet, most novelists have demanding full-time jobs, spouses, children, pets and a wide assortment of time-sucking responsibilities to attend to just like everyone else.)

The first question is not insulting at all. It's flattering. It is the innocent and fascinated question of a person who probably reads quite a lot; who read your novel and wondered, where does she come up with this stuff? Is there an ethereal being, the revered and also feared Muse, at her beck and call? How can I get this Muse to come to my house? Does she like warm cookies and milk?

The train of thought about creativity I just described is common. In fact, it's so common that a film, a late-90s comedy, was built around this premise of the necessity of a muse. It was called, appropriately, The Muse and starred Sharon Stone as the coveted creature living in the lap of luxury thanks to an army of deluded Hollywood screenwriters and directors who vie for her magical abilities. 

 

But the writer who waits for the muse writes sporadically if at all. No, if you want that magic, you're going to have some butt-in-chair time, hands on the keyboard, sans fairy dust. The only way to get inspired is