Sunday afternoon I spoke to the women's group of a Boise church. I gave a brief testimony of how God called me out of writing for the general market and into writing Christian fiction, then I opened it up to Q&A. That's my favorite kind of presentation. To take questions and then give my answers, usually sprinkled liberally with humor. I probably enjoy this so much because, as one of my theater directors once said, I'm "a natural born ham."
It's true. I am a ham. I love to tell stories. I love to entertain. I get that from my grandmother who was a type of actress in her day. She did professional "readings." Like from The Gift of the Magi. (Somewhere in this house I have her copy of that book, marked up for memorization.) I wish I'd been older before she died (her health began failing when I was ten). Maybe I could have remembered some of the great stories she told her grandchildren. Oh, how she could entertain us. Anyway, I come by it naturally.
So I shared with the women about how when I was ten I told my friends that my mom was born in a covered wagon coming west. That story was fueled by my excellent imagination and the fact that you can see the ruts of the Oregon Trail just ten or so miles from the home where I grew up. I was inspired!
Man, I wish I was always inspired in my storytelling. And I wish that writing a book was as easy as coming up with that little gem I told my friends at the age of ten. And come to think of it, I wish that every idea that popped into my head was worth putting on paper. Yeah, I know. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Sigh…
So I guess I'd better get back to the work of writing, because that's the only way a book ever gets done. It's not the inspiration. It's the fanny glued to the chair. Two parts perspiration.
P.S.
I'm still trying to find a way to keep my dog from killing my kitty. The squirt bottle has helped a little, but I still spend way too much of my time screaming, "Poppet, no! Poppet, leave it!" I decided that a cat "tree" would at least give Pinky a place to get away from the dog. What I won't do for my animals. My living room is now decorated with the "deluxe" model from Petco. Very plush. Since her full name is Princess Pinky, it seems appropriate that she has a castle. Right? (Click for larger versions.)
