WWMD? What Would Mary Do?

 by Shari Randall

We writers are always looking for inspiration, aren't we? At least I am. And I don't mean pie-in-the-sky-visit-from-a-Muse inspiration. I mean inspiration to get butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard. 

Some people have the hard-won inspiration of a disciplined routine. I have an erratic schedule, so that doesn't work for me. No, what works for me is plain old guilt.

When my self-discipline flags and I need to sit down and write I think, "What would Mary do?" Mary Higgins Clark was the author of over 50 books, including the mega-bestseller Where Are The Children? Dubbed "The Queen of Suspense," Clark crafted resilient characters who faced challenging, often deadly, situations with grit and determination.

That determination was part of her own DNA. Widowed with four children, Clark would rise to write at 5 AM until 7 AM when she'd ready her children for school and herself for work.

So, no excuses. If Mary could make time for writing, so can I.

What author inspires you?

Shari Randall is the author of the Lobster Shack Mystery series, and, as Meri Allen, the author of the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries.