Cheat your landlord if you can and must, but do not try to shortchange the Muse. It cannot be done. You can’t fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal.

- William S. Burroughs

Office Space with Lainee Cole

The Write Way Café welcomes author Lainee Cole, who shares some of the inspirational items she surrounds herself with while writing.

I inherited a love of all things “office” from my dad. I collect file folders, notepads, index cards, pens, and post-it notes – all in a variety of colors. Just like books, there is no such thing as too many. So now that my kids are grown and out on their own, I’m gradually taking over one bedroom and making it into an office. MY office.

So far, my desk, a couple of file cabinets, and several bookshelves line the walls. They’re great for functionality but they don’t do much for my muse, so I started collecting items that inspire me.  I’d like to share them with you.

A book letter cut from a hardcover book.

A Bookshop candle.

A book-page ornament.

A wooden box adorned with a nail/yarn heart.


An old hardcover book with the pages folded to read "Books".



A Scentsy typewriter wax warmer to help set the mood.



And last but not least, a large coffee mug filled with an assortment of pens, and offering words of advice:


These are a few of my favorite office things.

What items surround and inspire you in your office space?



Lainee Cole is a Midwestern girl who writes in the company of a husband always trying to talk to her. Her characters often take on a life of their own, surprising and annoying her. But writing fictional characters also gives her hope and inspires her to follow her dreams. Lainee’s goal is for her stories to make readers laugh and cry, give them hope, and encourage them to believe in the power of love. When she’s not writing or reading, Lainee enjoys spending time with family and friends; hiking, camping, and traveling with her husband; and consuming daily doses of chocolate. 

AT MIDNIGHT:

Three talented authors. 

Three love stories. 

Three approaching deadlines.

Midnight Casanova by Lainee Cole
Facebook    Twitter

Two Days Until Midnight by Lynn Crandall
Website     Facebook     Twitter

Midnight Deadline for Love by Rena Koontz
Website     Facebook     Twitter

Available at Amazon  and  Smashwords

The Devil Is In The Details

A week of camping and hiking is good for the mind, the body, and the muse.  

Sunrise Lodge was our home away from home for vacation last week. Nestled along the western edge of the campground, the small log-cabin style lodge was equipped with a microwave and small fridge, a surprisingly comfortable bed, and a bathroom.  But my favorite amenity was the wooden glider bench on the porch. It was the perfect place to relax with a cool drink and a good book while Hubby fogged our small area for mosquitoes and set up our evening campfires!  After dark, mesmerized by the campfire flames, I felt all my tensions fade away. 

Our hiking destinations were two nearby state parks, offering about 30 miles of trails between the two of them. We spent our days exploring, hiking through canyons and fording streams, climbing sometimes steep trails and climbing and descending so many steps that if I never see another one, it will be too soon. Our timing was perfect, though – with recent rains, the waterfalls were spectacular! We were even able to walk behind one of them. I was sure my body would protest, but each day, I was surprised at how good I really felt. 

Centered between the campground and the parks was a small town that inspired my muse. In the space of a few blocks, biker hangouts stood next to a bakery, followed by artisan shops, a bistro, and museums. Downtown consisted of maybe two blocks of businesses, including several bar and grills, wine tasting storefronts, a popcorn store and the public library. Across the railroad tracks, a bar with a pizza garden led the way uphill to other businesses: a tattoo parlor, a fencing company, a pizza place, and gift shops. 

My muse was going crazy! Bikers and artisans coexisting? Were there events going on that we didn’t know about, or was this the makeup of the town? How did the townspeople feel about having several bar and grills in the space of two blocks? How did the Bistro fit in? What about competing wineries? 

We learned that the town is a hotspot on weekends, with many of the businesses open only Friday through Sunday. Bikers filled the local Trading Post and another hangout, and the artisan shops and museums were filled with their own clientele. During the week, though, the town seemed almost deserted. Except for one bar and grill, probably better known as a pub, where we ate lunch one day. The place was filled with old memorabilia and had a unique “Hall of Foam” – a number of plaques filled with names of those who were able to drink 16 beers in one sitting. The catch: you can’t drink 16 Buds or whatever you like. They have 16 different beers on tap, most of them craft beers. In order to get in the “Hall of Foam” you are required to drink one glass from each tap. I'm not a beer-drinker, so my tastebuds shudder at the thought!

My muse was fascinated. How can people survive doing business only three days a week? Do the people have other “day” jobs? Where do they live; where do they play? Where did the pub come up with their “Hall of Foam”? What other unique things did we not discover?

So many thoughts jumbled together, and then drifted to my WIP. What could I learn from viewing this community? How do I create a community that makes an impact on readers?

I think the devil is in the details…  

Be Your Own Best Advocate

Don’t give up on yourself.

For me, that is one of those easier said than done things. I don’t know why. Anyone who knows me well knows I have self-doubt. It’s not that I don’t believe in myself, it’s that “parts” of me believe more in the reasons I may fail than in my ability to succeed. It takes a lot of energy to persevere when parts of me are cringing or cowering or yelling, “You can’t do it. Why are you trying? Who do you think you are?"

I don’t have multiple personalities. But I believe we all have parts that have belief systems that run counter to achieving the things we’re capable of. These parts have other agendas, like keeping us safe from criticism or disappointment or toeing some imaginary line, not rocking the boat.

If you don’t relate to this issue, I’m happy for you. But I don’t think I’m alone in having this kind of inner battle. Just recently an article by novelist and screenwriter Chuck Wendig, shared in my writing group, addressed the power of our own inner negative voices. The article, posted on his blog Terrible Minds, quite eloquently discusses motivation and inspiration for writers. He puts success for writing squarely in a writer’s lap and asks that we be our own best advocate.

“You’re the Muse that inspires you. You’re the god to which you sacrifice. You’re the battering ram made of unholy fire that tears down Writer’s Block. You’re the knife that cuts the arm off, you’re the boulder that must be pulverized, you’re the devil in the details. … I can try to tell you how to write. But first you have to be willing to write. You only get the map when you step through the door. It only gets done by doing it. Will yourself to create. Accept no excuses. Brook no fear... .”

The fear factor can be debilitating. But whatever the fear factor is for a writer, chances are very strong that it originates in something internal, making it within his or her ability to deal with and move on to do what we writers want to do – write. 
Inspiring words are helpful. They are a reminder that I’m not going to give up on myself if a reviewer gives my book a less than stellar rating or if I question whether I know what happens next in my story. Rather than listen to the parts that make it hard to write, I can do the things I know support my writing. I can prepare by doing the research I need for my story. I can put the fear in perspective -- it’s not valid and I’m the boss of me, not some reviewer or nay-sayer, real or imagined. I’m going to show up at my laptop and write whatever I can, knowing my skills never fail me. I’m not going to be my writing’s worst enemy. I’m not going to give up on myself. I’m going to be happy with my accomplishments, not regretful I gave up.

I mean, seriously? Am I going to give up on myself?

No.

What kinds of things get in your way of writing? Does fear factor in? How do you overcome it?