Did you ever know that you're my hero??

Iced coffee. Seriously. I submit that there is very little better than it to stimulate the mind on days like today when the sun is shining outside, my house was just labeled a State of Emergency inside, the laundry is half-done, I've got an 18-month-old with a horrendous diaper rash running around and I'd like nothing better than to go sit outside on my back porch, close my eyes and take a nap.

Until spring.

But. That's not really an option. Not when the laundry probably needs to be finished seeing as how we don't live in a nudist colony, the rash needs Desitin, the house needs to be cleaned and oh yes, I have approximately 54K words to write before May.

Fill 'er up.

Today, we're going to talk a little bit about inspiration. As in, how do you get off the proverbial couch and settle down at the proverbial desk? (I use "proverbial" because I tend to do 90% of my writing in the exact same spot on the exact same couch.) Or, what do you do if you are writing a fantastic blockbuster of a novel and suddenly come to a halt?

First, I want to suggest my dear friend, the iced caramel latte. Delicious, sweet and creamy, it reminds me that there are still good things in this world, even if my story is not currently one of them.

If that doesn't work for you, here's a few other ideas to try:

* Change positions. Do you always write on the couch? Move to a chair at the table. Always write at your desk? Move to a bench outside. Always write in a room by yourself? Head to a busy coffee house. Sometimes just mixing up the scenery can do wonders for your brain activity.

* Do you tend to get sleepy once you sit down? (I never did until my Nater Tot came into being. It happens. I'm old.) Try getting some sort of snack to have with you while you write. (WARNING. This can lead to an even bigger indention in the couch than you've already left. Aim for healthy, brain inducing food like roasted almonds, dried cranberries, dark chocolate, etc.)

* Try turning on the tunes. Sometimes a great song can get the fun back into the writing or a creepy soundtrack can instill just the right amount of fear into your fingers as you write.

* The nose knows. Don't forget about ambiance. Light a fragrant candle or get out that Febreeze you have shoved in the mess of a laundry room (that might just be me). I love to light those Woodwick candles while I'm writing - the sound of wood crackling is just the right amount of background noise.

* Check out your main character. Is she acting out of character? Has she become boring? Maybe see if she needs the fictional version of an iced caramel latte. Sometimes, introducing your character to a new character or scene can instill more life in a novel.

* Finally, take a break. If you've tried everything and you're just stuck, trying closing the laptop and just walking away for a few minutes. Go for a walk or go to the gym. Get the blood flowing. Look on Pinterest and find a cool craft to make to get the creative juices flowing. Make some type of delicious dinner. Then get back to work! Sometimes the biggest inspiration we need is just someone telling us to DO IT!! :)

(images taken from thepioneerwoman.com. Go get the recipe and start writing!)