Books on writing are full of advice - some of it life-changing. Some are, how do I say this nicely?
Utter rubbish.
And sometimes, advice starts as one and turns into the other.
For example, when women try to lose weight, they are told to paste a picture of a slim person on the inside of their cupboard or on their refrigerator. I have always found this to be nasty, belittling, and condescending - yet another way of telling women that they are not beautiful and they will never measure up.
But we all need heroes. That's why we write, that's why we watch movies/TV, that's why we read. Everyone needs someone to show us that what we want is possible and how to get there.
So this week, I found pictures of my creative heroes and I've seeded them around my writing stations.
Obviously, I have a love for mythology and for the band Queen. Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John now live in glorious color on my laptop's wallpaper. Their music, politics, and courage never fail to lift me up when I'm feeling sluggish or stuck.
Jayne Ann Krentz, a wonderful best-selling author (and former librarian with a background in history!) is another of my heroes. I've met her in person a few times and she is down to earth, intelligent, and has great insights on our craft. If you do not own Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women, you are shorting yourself some great discussion on Romance!
Emma Holly writes beautifully sexy and emotional fiction.
I've got lots. Who inspires you?
Linda's Literary Lair! Books for the intelligent, sexy, and curious.
Heroes. I love heroes. I fill my world with them. As long as they are heroes and not goals, IMO, even the woman on the fridge thing can be good.
ReplyDeleteFrom history: Socrates, Jesus, Joan of Arc and Ghandi and those Viking heroes that came to America as well as those the helped the slaves flee the south in obscurity.
From fantasy: Jason (Greek), Lilith, Lancelot, Superman and Supergirl, Ben Grimm and the Badger
from modern times: Obama and both Clintons, Martin Luther King, Roberto Clemente, Rosa Parks, Michael Moore and Jackie Robinson who is way up on my list.