The bulletin board above my desk holds all sorts of treasures:
- Irene Latham's Plot is a Verb postcard
- a flyer from my first author event
- a photo of a statue erected to honor pioneer women
- two quotes from J. Anderson Coats
- a silly VIP name tag from my 2007-2008 fourth graders (they gave me a "most likely to be a famous author" award)
- a great last name -- Folkenflick (any NPR listeners recognize this?)
- an anonymous, kind response during a First Pages reading session at SCBWI-MI 2004
- a card Schwartz and Wade sent along with my very own copy of May B.
- a song called Why Do We Hunger For Beauty? that always makes me cry
- a faded purple 3x5 that holds May B.'s original plot line
- a picture of me as a mid-grader
- pins for various books and debut author groups
- a tag from a Caroline Rose jacket...too fun to throw away!
- a heart necklace on a yarn chain
- my portrait, drawn by my younger guy when he was nine
and my latest addition, four words Sheila O'Connor shared with me after attending a writing workshop. They're what all writers need:
- endurance
- patience
- commitment
- passion
In surrounding myself with things that inspire, I find the courage to keep plugging away.
Where do you find your inspiration?
