Do You Find Inspiration through Nature?

Free image courtesy kretktz on Pixabay.

Authors are often asked where they get their inspiration. The answer to that question is quite simply ‘anywhere.’ It could be through real life experiences, a conversation, a news item, music, film, or an image. We can even be inspired by nature.

Growing up, I always appreciated being surrounded by nature, mainly the stillness of the bush or the sounds of waves crashing on the beach. Taking in the solitude instilled a calming effect, both physically and mentally. This is where I felt at peace. It is also where I would find my ‘muse.’

Last year, through one of my acupuncture sessions, I learned about nature meditation. I had never heard of the term before but was surprised because this is what I have doing since childhood. It could also explain why, whenever I feel stressed, I need to be alone and go for long walks (living in the country certainly helps with that).

Free image courtesy Artur Aldyrkhanov on Unsplash.

Recently, hubby and I went away for a few days. It was very relaxing, as our cabin was situated near the Blue Mountains. We were completely off-grid – no internet, television, or phone service. We were switched off from civilisation, which is something we both needed.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet, being with nature, encountering wild goats (yes, we have them in Australia), kangaroos, water dragons, one rather large goanna, and a couple of lyre birds. I made the most of it, and hubby had no problem with me wandering off on my own. I walked maybe 2-3 times a day. I also swam every day, which was great as I even had my own private swimming hole. Hubby came with me once, commenting on how deep it was, reminding me of one of my own short stories. I guess, having an imagination can be a curse sometimes! 😉

From these daily ventures amongst nature, and with nothing with me but my imagination, I found myself not only relaxed, but also my writing inspiration for the next twelve months.

Do you find inspiration through nature?  Writers, how do you find your ‘muse?’ Do you do nature meditation?

Celebrating Three Years as an Indie Author.

Free image courtesy Nick Morrison on Unsplash.

Happy new year! I hope you’re well rested and making plans for 2023.

I admit 2022 was not one of my best years. I had ongoing health issues which hampered my writing efforts. Despite that, though, it gave me time to reflect on what I considered important in my life; writing being one of them.

Before I self-published three years ago, I read that once I hit that “publish” button, my life would change. In some respects, it did. I had more work to do, and like blogging, I had readers to satisfy. The trouble was, I managed to get caught in the belief that to be successful, I needed to write fast. Add on the “fear of missing out,” and worrying about things out of my control, what once gave me pleasure, I soon began to dread. I even considered chucking it all in.

Thankfully, I managed to persevere, believing that my health issues were an opportunity for me to slow down (the slow and steady route has always been my preferred  option, anyway). I continued to take a step back from all the noise of social media and have come to realise the three most important things when it comes to indie publishing: –

  1. Focus on your product
  2. Do what is comfortable for you, and
  3. Enjoy the process.

Indie publishing is a lot of work, and we can get so caught up in all the rush we forget why we’re doing this in the first place. Sometimes we need to reassess and take the time to appreciate how far we’ve come.

My husband recently told me to think about my personal satisfaction. Knowing I have created something I am proud of, and that readers enjoy, makes it all worth-while.

If you’re an indie author, have you been overwhelmed, or do you prefer to do it your own way? If you’re not published, which option are you considering – traditional, indie, or both?

Do You Fall Behind Or Catch Up on Your Writing Goals Over Christmas?

Free image courtesy Kyle Glenn on Unsplash.

We’ve made it to December!

Usually, over Christmas, I fall behind with my writing, but I’ve been behind in my writing goals all year. I have been suffering from chronic pain and fatigue since late 2021, which threw my writing goals into disarray. Then, in the middle of NaNoWriMo, I had to abandon the challenge, as my town was hit by the recent floods, and my father-in-law’s house was affected (thankfully, he’s okay and is back home). Basically, it has been almost impossible to make plans for anything, let alone, writing.

So, this Christmas, I’ll be playing catch up with my writing goals. It’s a good thing I already adhere to the ‘slow and steady’ approach!

I have a few seasons of ‘Supernatural’ to catch up on as well. 😉

The final novella in my Marsden Hall series, House of Echoes, is with my editor, which means I can now start work on something new – only I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that will be (yep, squirrel). 😉

Christmas is also a time to reassess my writing goals and figure out what I’m comfortable with when it comes to both writing and marketing. If these past twelve months have taught me anything, it’s to go at my own pace; I’m in this for the long haul.

Happy Christmas everyone and best wishes for the new year. Wishing you lots of writing successes in 2023!

Do you fall behind or catch up on your writing goals over Christmas? Are you happy to go at your own pace when it comes to writing?