Jeremy Edwards rephrased the saying "When you're stuck, have a man rush in waving a gun," to waving something else.

I try to figure out where I went off track, or plow my way through, or work on something else for a while. (something else being FaceBook) less

I write whatever is in my head, no matter how ridiculous it may be or even if it's "I have no idea what to write." The biggest challenge for me is always just getting started. If I can get the car going it will usually take me where I need to go.

Starring at a blank page (well now a blank screen) is the biggest obstacle to writing anything I've ever had. less

I work on something else. I always have more than one story going at any given time. Right now I have one erotic novel in progress, an erotic shared-world project that needs more world-building before I pitch it to a publisher, one mainstream novel in progress (steampunk on the high seas!), and one YA romance novel in outline (yeah, I do mainstream stuff, too. Not published in those yet, and when I do, it won't be under my given name. Too many mothers will have heart failure!)

And if that doesn't work, I go do dishes (plot bunnies are water soluble!) or weed the garden or go to the gym. The gym works well -- endorphins get the writer brain flowing! less

From my perspective---

I like things that I can look at and understand. I'm never going to buy a washing machine with an LCD interface---because when a dial breaks, I can fix it.

I love technology, and everything microchips can do for us---but I really love seeing and intuitively making sense of the inner workings. I know steampunk has many different facets, but I know that I (and many other engineering-inclined folks) am really drawn to the idea of a time where all technology was working at a human scale. Where I could see the cog. Where I could take my wrench to it without having to read an instruction manual, or interface through a computer.

I love that in steampunk, all of the marvels of the modern world are available---but they're also accessible.

That's the yearning *I* think steampunks is filling, anyway.

Also, brass is hot. less

"and one YA romance novel in outline (yeah, I do mainstream stuff, too. Not published in those yet, and when I do, it won't be under my given name. Too many mothers will have heart failure!)"

You're not kidding. I'm beyond disappointed that parents complained about Judy Mays. You'd think she killed cats in her spare time the way some of them were carrying on. less

True story:

My son was in pre-k this past year, and when they had their Career Day, I volunteered. I approached the VP, gave her my credentials (including my website), and she JUMPED on the idea of having a real-live writer come in. So, on the day, I sat down in front of 125 fourth graders, and talked for two hours on what it is like to be a writer, what a writer's day is like, why most writers I know think Castle is a comedy, and how publishing really works. When I left, about half of them were chattering happily about how they wanted to be writers someday, and the teachers thanked me for the wonderful talk.

Three hours later, I get a frantic phone call from the VP.

She'd FINALLY looked at my website.

I pointed out to her that she'd had all that information for months, that her lack of due diligence was not my problem, and that nothing had been said during the talk that would make a maiden auntie blush, let alone alarm a parent! Which was when she admitted that the teachers had told her the same thing.

Needless to say, my son isn't going to that school for kindergarten. less

True story:

My son was in pre-k this past year, and when they had their Career Day, I volunteered. I approached the VP, gave her my credentials (including my website), and she JUMPED on the idea of having a real-live writer come in. So, on the day, I sat down in front of 125 fourth graders, and talked for two hours on what it is like to be a writer, what a writer's day is like, why most writers I know think Castle is a comedy, and how publishing really works. When I left, about half of them were chattering happily about how they wanted to be writers someday, and the teachers thanked me for the wonderful talk.

Three hours later, I get a frantic phone call from the VP.

She'd FINALLY looked at my website.

I pointed out to her that she'd had all that information for months, that her lack of due diligence was not my problem, and that nothing had been said during the talk that would make a maiden auntie blush, let alone alarm a parent! Which was when she admitted that the teachers had told her the same thing.

Needless to say, my son isn't going to that school for kindergarten. less

"and one YA romance novel in outline (yeah, I do mainstream stuff, too. Not published in those yet, and when I do, it won't be under my given name. Too many mothers will have heart failure!)"

You're not kidding. I'm beyond disappointed that parents complained about Judy Mays. You'd think she killed cats in her spare time the way some of them were carrying on. less