When the ink won't run

I've been interviewed quite a few times now--a privilege, an honor, and really quite a thought-provoking process. But lots of interviewers seem to ask the same question--what do I do when I've got writers' block. Mostly I don't get it because...

1. I go for a walk--I used to walk the dog when we still had one, which was good because then I could talk to my characters out loud and people didn't think I was totally insane. Now I just hope nobody real is listening.
2. I write something else--I usually have several pieces on the go at once. Just now I'm writing a short story about a paranormal hero's cat, editing chapters of Sylvia's story in Infinite Sum, crafting occasional poems for Gather.com whenever I find time to log on there, and reviving Hemlock Edge.
3. I read--I'm usually reading several things at once too. At the moment I'm reading Coldwater by Diana Gould, the Last of the Name by Charles McGlinchey, and Body and Soul by M. Craig Barnes.
4. I do the housework. Usually I do the housework first before sitting down to write, otherwise I'd feel guilty. Or...

Today it was the physical ink, not the mental, that wouldn't flow. I tried to mend my printer and cleaned tons of gunky black stuff off the print heads. Unfortunately I ran out of yellow ink during  earlier steps in the process, and it looks like my nice new black ink may have got damaged by trying to work through a gummed up print head. Ah well, tomorrow I'll try buying some more ink, which is, at least, less expensive than buying a new printer. And then... Well, maybe then I'll send out a query letter for Infinite Sum since the place I want to send it doesn't accept email submissions (and the one that had accepted it is going out of business). Please wish me luck!

So, going back to #3, I've been reading again and here are some more book reviews, s. Go grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and browse my overloaded bookshelves...

Starting with The Beast of Macon Hollow, by T. C. Harrelson where a brother and sister move to a house in a town that modern time seems to have forgotten. An unknown aunt left the house to their father in her will. Now Will and his sister learn to live more simply in a place with no crime... but where are the dead bodies coming from? Scary and evocative, for middle grade and up, enjoy with some 5-star dark intense coffee.

Next is another middle-grade novel, The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One, by Jess Loury,
a fantasy adventure in the style of Cornelia Funke, with a toadhouse flying through the pages of classic books where characters come to dangerous life while teens try to complete their quest. Enjoy with an elegant 4-star cup of coffee.

Nana’s Quest, by Shelly Goodman Wright is a fascinating short story for middle grade readers giving a curiously scary take on a familiar fairy tale as Nana falls asleep during the telling. Perhaps there was a reason Nana was always meant to finish the tale. Enjoy this short story with a short sharp 5-star cup of coffee.

Continuing in the realms of fantasy, Mulogo’s Treatise on Wizardry, by Joseph J. Bailey tackles the question of training young wizards in the way they should, teaching them proper self-protection, surprising places to hide, and amusing techniques to avoid the overkill of flashing lights and wizardry. Engagingly satirical, this is a short light-hearted book to enjoy with some 2-star lively easy-drinking coffee.

Another short and intriguing book is Laura Eno's Wraith, second in a series that began with Raven. I love the robot--so will you. And the rest of the ensemble makes for an interesting set of characters on a fascinating quest. I hope there'll be more stories about them soon. Enjoy with some more 2-star easy-drinking coffee.