August #IWSG: Back to Writing

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

"Trying to clean the house with kids inside is like trying to brush your teeth while eating an Oreo." Writing with kids home for the summer is IMPOSSIBLE. But in less than two weeks, they return to their regularly scheduled programming, er, um, back to school!!!

After surviving TWO family vacations with the kids, I have only outlined, researched, and added a few chapters to my WIP. While vacationing in Michigan, we went blueberry picking. Think of the time it takes for the fruit to ripen before you can actually enjoy them. You can't pick blueberries all year long. The season lasts only a few weeks. Sometimes you just can't write. During those times, I choose to outline or research or read all the books. I can't wait to get back to my regular schedule of writing. I love my crazy kids, but summer is a whirlwind for me.

How's your summer? Have you been busy writing? Taking a break? Looking forward to fall?

Blueberry fields

My daughter experiencing Lake Michigan for 1st time.

July #IWSG: The Waiting Game

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Waiting. That's all we do sometimes. We wait on the kids, wait for CPs and beta-readers (not complaining!), wait for book related news, wait for trains. As a writer, we wait and we wait and we wait. This train lasted FOREVER. It stood between me and my destination: a park next to the Mississippi River.

We can't control the outcome of certain things and we can't control other people (you can try, but that's called being a control freak). However, we can control how we wait: patiently or impatiently. Those are pretty much the only two options we have.

While I was waiting for this train to pass (all one hundred train cars give or take a few, moving at a pace slower than my youngest teenage son trying to clean his room), I was struck with the beauty of the perfect clouds, the bluest skies, and the vivid color swirls of graffiti art. I snapped a few pics while I waited and waited and... 

How do you handle waiting? If you're in the writing game and you think this doesn't apply to you, you're doing it wrong. I wish we didn't have to wait, but that's a writer's life! 

Some of you requested I post photos of the bathroom in Hannibal's newest downtown restaurant overlooking the Mississippi River:

I told you it was fun and photo worthy! Don't forget the 60th annual Tom Sawyer Days starts this week in Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown.

St. Louis City Museum

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What started out as a trip to the St. Louis Zoo turned into a day at the City Museum due to major storms. I have to admit, I've read about this place and even checked it out online, but nothing can prepare you for the scale of this ginormous fun house slash museum occupying an entire city block in downtown St. Louis. And the price for parking at $1.25 made it worth the $12 price of admission. The former International Shoe Company stands ten stories tall and has been transformed into what I think is an accurate description: McDonalds' playland on crack or steroids or both. A mini Ferris wheel adorns the roof along with a school bus that partially hangs over the side of the building. The stairs, railings, and slides have been constructed from recycled building materials. The three story indoor slide remained the highlight attraction for younger children. A visit to the ballroom on one of the upper floors is a must to get your sanity back. In this space, the chaos trims dramatically and you can finally hear yourself think again.

Once you've burrowed through the maze of rabbit holes (I'm not kidding how tiny and creepy some of these are) and Goonies-like shipwrecks and abandoned shacks, you enter the upper levels that resemble more of a museum. Just plan to lose your kids at least once, maybe twice, or more. At least the wrist bands provide a space for a parent's cell number.

One of my favorite rooms turned out to be the taxidermy room with enough stuffed owls, hawks and dead bugs to complete any fourth grade science project. The vastness of the former Shoe Company grips you the moment you step through a tiny rusted door on the third floor where you squeeze your way through twisted metal staircases and tunnels several stories tall in this maze of Dysopian wonder world. You're left wondering if you've entered the Matrix or a Divergent dream or some other similar alternate universe or fictional world.

The side of the building features more intricate tunnels and slides and, yes, that is an airplane. 

Numerous artifacts (wooden, stone and metal facades) like these gargoyles are spread throughout the museum mostly from long gone skyscrapers from Chicago or St. Louis.

A wall of printing engraver's plates decorated one room. I could've spend hours sifting through these, but you have to read them backwards and it was giving me a headache and the room turned out to be off limits and I got kicked out by a really nice worker.

Are you taking any road trips this summer? Or do you prefer to take day trips? Now you know what I do when I am unable to write: urban exploring while dragging my kids along. The official countdown to our family vacation is in one month. Any trips planned? Hope you are having a fantastic summer!

June IWSG: Writerly Inspiration

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On the Old Chicago Road about thirty minutes from downtown Chicago you will find an abundance of empty fields filled with windmills and a strong sensation you just crossed over into the fifth dimension. I gain inspiration for my writing through photographs. I can return to the same photo and linger for hours.

I get lost scouring through an endless assortment of Chicago IGers on Instagram. Since I'm several hours away, I must live vicariously, peeking into the Rookery, the Soho House, or catching a glimpse of Calder's Red Flamingo on the sidewalk just outside the Federal Building. Every fall I return to the city. Until then I stalk my favorite Instagram account, Skydeck. With its sweeping views, the Sear's Tower remains the single most photographed landmark in Chicago.

Tornado Alley runs through Illinois (and Missouri, oh joy). Typical flat farm fields stretch forever across this state where each spring and summer clouds swirl with potentially dangerous weather. And who doesn't love writing a good storm scene?


Another source of inspiration for my writing comes from reading books in my genre (and out of my genre). I can't tell you enough how much this inspires me--more than anything else. I'm always on the prowl for unputdownable books.

Did I mention my two teenage boys? Of course, you guys already know how much I shamelessly use them. It doesn't get any better than real live kids in your house eating all of your food, fighting with their siblings, and pulling a million pranks. I'm okay. Deep breath. Summer's just starting. I can do this. OK, who put the traffic cone on top of the house??

Where does your inspiration come from? Need to find some? What have you read lately to inspire your inner Hemingway or Jeff Kinney?

Twain on Main Festival

The "Twain on Main" festival is one of the highlights each spring in downtown Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown. The newest addition on Main Street (just before the lighthouse and the Tom & Huck statue) is the John Michael Originals furniture gallery. I absolutely adore his style. Sadly, the shop was closed yesterday.

The recently renovated building called the "Moses Bates Public House" was named after the founding father of Hannibal. It also has a new restaurant in back with seating available on top. The exposed brick and pipe works in the restaurant showcase the original structure of the building, which started out manufacturing and installing truck beds for Model T Ford delivery trucks. The most recent business was Murphy's Motors, a Dodge dealership. Now the furniture store and unbeatable smoked bbq eatery will keep this place in business for a long time.

Did I mention the red doors, corrugated metal and chalk board walls inside the bathroom? Did I mention I had the privilege of eating there over the weekend with my hubby for our anniversary? Our anniversary is actually today. Maybe I can convince him to go again. Next time, I will be dining in the outdoor area above so I can take pics of the Mississippi River only a few feet away.

During the festival, there were plenty of other food options on the street. I have no clue what a "roller dawg" is, so if you know, please tell me!

What festival wouldn't be complete without a petting zoo and pony rides? My five-year-old experienced her first pony ride. Afterwards, she said, "I'd like to do that again." Oh dear. Is this the start of a little girl's obsession with horses?!

Games with Tom and Becky in Twain's sideyard was a big hit.

Art vendors, the main attraction, lined the streets with everything from homemade soap and linens to clay pottery people, metal works, leather crafts, and jewelry. I discovered a Mark Twain leather bound notebook, my favorite find of the day.

Main Street was divided into thirds: Roughin' It, The Prince and the Pauper, and Tom Sawyer, all areas designed after three of Twain's novels. Although, the only one that was super obvious was the Roughin' It section. The others tended to blend with the mob on Main Street.

Over four blocks of wall to wall people for this year's Twain on Main festival. Until the next festival...or next post...Thanks for stopping by!

Confessions of a Drive-by Photograper

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"You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, then you find out who they really are." Joss Whedon

I confess I enjoy taking photos while driving. Not to worry, because it's my superpower. As I was doing another drive-by photo shoot, I reminded my eldest son who was in the passenger seat to never text and drive and never under any circumstances should he take photos while driving. Don't judge me.

Welcome to Hannibal where storms brew over the Big River.

(The road ends in the Mississippi River.)

One of my favorite buildings

Sadly, I never featured this neglected building in my AtoZ posts. It's one of those creepy, abandoned places you would find on an episode of Supernatural. I would give ANYTHING to explore this forgotten piece of history. The spire has a metal architectural globe attached, and I imagine that's the exact spot where my MC siphons his powers from storms collecting in the atmosphere. Writing urban fantasy has taken root in my brain.

Marion County Courthouse

I recently spent an entire day (that I will never get back) inside the courthouse. And I wasn't even allowed to have a phone! No pictures. And no, I wasn't wearing an orange jumpsuit, although the chain gang did arrive while the court took a short recess. I was rejected for jury duty, the only time I jumped for joy at receiving a rejection.

How goes your MC's journey? You're not going too easy on him, are you? Are you putting up roadblocks and obstacles, making his journey full of potholes and detours? Throwing a few storms in the mix, forcing him off the road? Giving him jury duty? Now, that's pushing it a little too far.

All photos were taken while driving. No children, animals, or vehicles were harmed in the process. The Twain on Main Festival is this weekend. Tune in Monday for Twain sightings!

MAY #IWSG: Detours

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Detours:

If you followed me on the AtoZ blogging challenge this past month, you may remember my obsession with trains. I don't think any of us deep down would admit we like taking detours. If you're like me, I pride myself on getting from point A to point B as fast as I can. Sometimes I can be heard yelling at passing trains (and my kids) to hurry up. Sometimes I can be seen carrying five grocery bags, a gallon of milk, a twelve-pack of diet Coke from my car to my house to avoid making more than one trip.

A few years back, I was traveling on scenic highway 79, about a mile past the Mark Twain Cave, when I came across a train derailment. The accident had happened a few days prior (I later heard about it on the news). The twisted wreck of carnage strewn everywhere will always remind me of my love/hate relationship with trains. Of course, I had to get out of my car to explore the damage. The heaps of sleeping metal giants lay on their sides, toppled over. No other cars or people were present. It was as if I walked on to a movie set while everyone was on break.

My son must have gotten bored and sent me this pic.

The cause of the derailment, flood waters. The Mississippi River runs parallel to highway 79 and a set of train tracks. Some moron drove the train through the flooded tracks that had since receded when I came on the scene. I'm sad to report I have no pics of this disaster.

Sometimes we need a detour or a complete derailment to get our attention. One day last fall, I made a major decision to set aside my mystery series. I thought I'd write contemporary fiction forever. After much research and reading, I started writing my first urban fantasy, which consists of incorporating fantasy elements in an urban setting where magic isn't the norm. I'd never been compelled to write in this genre before. I don't know why, because I love sci-fi, paranormal and fantasy in books, movies, and T.V. series.

The day I decided to take a detour was one of the best days of my life. I've challenged myself to not write the usually tropes: demons, dragons, vampires, werewolves, etc. My goal is to bring something unexpected to the UF market.

Don't be afraid to take risks, take another route, try something new! Were you ever forced to take a detour or have you suffered a complete derailment in your writing? Did you get back on your feet, find your way again? Thankful for the detour?