“Waiting for inspiration to write is like standing at the airport waiting for a train.”
~unknown~
When you have to write a story a month, there is no time to wait – for a train, a plane, or an inspiration! Mom is 28 words into her June story for the 12×12 Challenge. OK. It’s not 228 or 428, but 28 is a start. Plus she is busy Mind Writing.
Whenever we are out walking she Mind Writes about her main character, his goals, his issues, his problem, and how she will increase tension and take the story where it needs to go. Also, when we are out walking – while she’s Mind Writing – she watches me like a hawk. She says, “Don’t eat from the ground.” and “Don’t go near the edge or you’ll fall in.”
and “Oh, $#%@! Not another street nap!” But of course it is.
It always is…
Mom’s June idea came from her list of Storystorm ideas.
It’s an old one, but caught her eye, got her thinking, and surprised her a little. It’s fun when that happens.
At the park, a duck caught my eye. I watched it swimming. Then it surprised me a little. It wasn’t even a duck. It was a cormorant! It dove deep, swam a long time, made a hundred splashes, came up with a fish in its mouth, and ATE IT in one gulp!
Not the actual cormorant.
Truth be told, I didn’t know whether to be happy for the cormorant, sad for the fish, or sorry for myself because once Mom shared her tuna sandwich with me, but it didn’t look like that was about to happen at all.
Not the actual tuna sandwich.
I’m glad I wasn’t standing at the airport waiting for a train when all that cormorant excitement happened. I think I’ll wait at the kitchen counter for some tuna now. Can’t hurt…
Cupcake Speaks 
Comments on: "Inspirational Quote of the Week" (51)
that is a super fabulous quote and it says what we feel sometimes when our inspiration becomes the airplane on the way to the trainstation (imagine the look of the people there hahahaha)
Thanks, P. Inspirations are like that. They’re wily critters. Gotta get ’em while the getting is good.
Love and licks,
C
So so cute 🙂 I hope that tuna came in the end 🙂
Thanks, Pop. Truth be told, I’m still waiting for the tuna…
Love and licks,
C
Excellent quote, Cupcake! You are such an inspiration with your cuteness and I would share my tuna with you every day…and maybe the cormorant too…MOL😺Pawkisses for a Happy inspirational Whit Monday to the both of you🐾😽💞
Every day??! Thanks, Little B. You are a good sharer. I don’t think we need to share with the cormorant. He’s doing OK on his own. *gulp*
Love and licks,
C
Oh that’s a GREAT quote……sometimes waiting leads to ZIP and other times that train actually does arrive at the airport. Tuna is like that – it turns up in the most delightful places like in your Mom’s sandwich and she decides to SHARE. Who could resist that face of yours?
Hugs, Teddy
Thanks, T. It is very helpful to have a well-developed begging face for those times when an unexpected plane, train, or tuna sandwich makes an appearance!
Love and licks,
C
We will keep hoping for new ideas and tuna. Xox Xena and Lucy
Thanks, girls! xo
Love and licks,
C
Mom and I both loved that quote!! That was right on the nose!! Mom’ll probably annoy everyone by using it every chance she gets!
Seeing you standing there waiting for a bite of mom’s lunch is charming enough to get mom to head up tp the park for her woofie fix!
So good to see you again Cupcake. Mom and I know your mom has other writing to do while she waits for her train to come in. OOXX
Katie Isabella
Thanks, KI. You’re right. Mom will always be working on something. She’s gotten to 154 words in her story at this point, so things are moving along well. Don’t be too hard on your mama if she comes home with a scent of woofie on her. My begging face is pretty powerful…
Love and licks,
C
How exciting to see a cormorant, Cupcake! We think it’s so impressive that you were able to identify it. The Two Orange Pups just name everything duck, which isn’t that surprising, since Chili is a Duck Tolling Retriever. We hope that Mom’s train arrives at the airport, that the plane lands at the dock, and that you get a tasty tuna treat! (hmmm…a seaplane just flew overhead, maybe there is story lurking here).
It’s always safe to call water birds ducks, P. The Orange Pups are smart that way. Sometimes details just cause unnecessary clutter. All of us pups like to streamline our thinking whenever we can. Not sure we can streamline a train at the airport or a plane that acts like a boat! Yikes!
Love and licks,
C
My Margret loved the quote and says to thank you for it! Your mom can multi task really really well. Mind writing while keeping you from really fun stuff oh I mean keeping you safe. Tuna.. hmm we’ve never tried that….~nose nudges Bessie Pup
Thanks, B. Tuna is very yummy. Definitely steal some… I mean beg for some as soon as possible. Mom will always multi-task if it means keeping me from having fun. You got that right!
Love and licks,
C
I don’t know why exactly but I get a kick out of your Nap Season! I guess because I used to like to lay on the pavement at school when I was younger… way younger. It was warm and felt wonderful. I think mind writing sounds like a very helpful way to get your Mom’s story moving along. Wishing her good luck. Cool about the Cormorant. We have an Anhinga that visits the lake. They are often mistaken for Cormorants and have the same fishing technique. We have watched him swallow many a big fish that we were not sure he could get down.
That’s awesome, Pix! You are (were) a street napper like me?! I’ve met street napping doggies before, but never a human! Yay! Mom googled anhinga birds. They look pretty fun, just like the cormorant. Mom yells at me when I don’t chew my food nicely, but the cormorant didn’t chew either. He just gulped. It was the best!
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake, the nuns already thought I was a strange child and my playground pavement thing concerned them. I tested their already limited patience.
I know exactly what you mean about the cormorant. We see a heron sometimes and we never know whether to be happy the heron gets a meal, or sad for the fish that become his lunch!
Ha! It’s a tough call, C. It has to be a good feeling to grab a goodie, though. So I think I will side with the higher end of the food chain.
Love and licks,
C
You just never know from where inspiration will come. The trick is to keep an open mind and use those moments upon which to build.
So true, M. Writers have to keep their eyes, ears, and mind open!
Love and licks,
C
You never know when an idea new or old is going to grab you and inspire you to write, or when the urge for a street nap will strike! 🙂 Hope you get some tuna, Cupcake! 🙂 ❤
Thanks, S. So smart. Ideas and street naps blast onto the scene like lightning. Sometimes, I go down in slow motion and other times all at once like somebody shot me. #mandown
Love and licks,
C
I’ve never seen a cormorant up close. But I know they eat fish. We’ve stumbled upon some videos lately about herons catching and eating things that are not fish (gophers, rabbits, ducks, etc.) We never knew they did that! They’re like modern dinosaurs!
Anyway, we often get inspiration just by watching for the little things that are going on in our yard: the birdie drama, bugs and spiders, the sun and clouds, the changing seasons. Ghostwriter says she likes working with the elderly because of all the stories they have to tell.
I hope you finally got some of that tuna fish to eat. I was a lucky doggie yesterday. Dad cooked burgers on the grill and I got to eat a big piece. Yum!
You ARE a lucky doggie, C. The only burgers coming my way around here are the Rachael Ray doggie treat ones. Not that I’m complaining… Those herons are MONSTERS! I’m kinda happy I’ve never run into one of those guys. I mean a bird eating a duck? *gulp* It’s straight up barbaric!
Love and licks,
C
why Cupcake I would gladly give you all the tuna you want!!
Oh yeah! That’s what I like to hear! Be advised, I don’t know when to stop…
Love and licks,
C
A bird with a fish? That’s a nappie and dinner rolled into one. Yummy.
Shoko
That’s the truth, S. It was pretty epic!
Love and licks,
C
I know how your Mom feels. I wanted to write a book but just could work out some details. I thought I would just start it and hope for inspiration. I just finished chapter two and then nothing. Where is that inspiration when you need it?
Inspiration NEVER comes when you need it. It’s fickle. It comes whenever it feels like it. That’s why Mom writes crap sometimes. It’s easier to revise crap than to revise nothing.
Love and licks,
C
That should be your next inspirational quote. 🙂
Knowing your mom, I’m sure some tuna will be coming your way soon. And surprises?!? I love surprises! Maybe some of these people who are in charge of publishing will surprise mom and WAKE UP to talent and get this Book 2 thing going. Talk about swimming for a long time! These dopes are forever treading water and need to quit stalling! Enjoy your tuna – whenever. 🐟🥪❤️
The tuna comes like the inspiration comes, G – when we least expect it. That’s why I want to advise Sonny to stay close to the kitchen. Good stuff happens there…
Love and licks,
C
Cupcake you are just adorable. We enjoyed the story. The counter is the perfect place to wait for tuna…we bet it works better than waiting at the airport for a train. Did you get some tuna? Hugs and nose kisses Chancy and Mags
Thanks, C and M. Staying at the counter with the begging face on is always a good bet. Tuna, cheese, chicken, sweet potatoes – that’s where they ALL come sooner or later.
Love and licks,
C
Those begging faces are hard to resist. 🙂
You are so cute, Cupcake. I hope you really did get some tuna!
Oh yeah, L. All good things come to those who wait. And I’ve got nuthin but time…
Love and licks,
C
Lots of pets for you!
I just love the photo of you on the top of the page Cupcake. Mom and I think you are absolutely adorable and we love that quote! 😀
I think Mom is doing a great job by watching you. My mom also watches me like hawk because just like your mom she knows we love eating stuff from the ground or walking where we can get hurt. Just the other day the people next door that are visiting here, took their little doggie to the beach and of course they never watch her and let her run around free and she ate something and was very sick. They had to take her to the animal doctor. Shame, she was sick for the whole day. It’s sad that some people are not as careful as our moms. 😦
Oooh, street naps feel so good, especially when the street is nice and warm. You look so cute with your beautiful dress on! 😀
I hope you get some of that tuna, and I can’t see how your Mom can say no, because you look so adorable when you ask like that! 😀
Have a great weekend and here’s lots of wet kisses and hugs for you and your Mom. 😘😘😘💕💕💕
Thanks for all the good wishes, R. Mom and I will never understand people who let their doggies run free and don’t even watch them to keep them safe. There are SO MANY dangers out there – especially for impulsive doggies like us. The tuna and other goodies always come to me. Mom can’t resist my begging face. Even though she only gives me a tiny bite, it’s the yumminess that counts!
Love and licks,
C
You are very welcome C. Mom and I feel the same. She says they are very irresponsible.
We sure are spoiled, aren’t we? I also just look at Mom with my “anime face” as she calls it and she can’t resist that either. hahaha.
You must have a yummy day my little friend. Lots of wet kisses and hugs. 😘😘😘💕💕💕
Chaplin: “Hey, tell that cormorant to stop eating my fish!”
Charlee: “What makes you think it was YOUR fish?”
Chaplin: “They’re all my fish!”
OMGoodness, C and C. I didn’t even know that all the fish are yours! I can see lots more of them swimming in the lake, so I think you’ll be OK. Meanwhile, the tuna is MINE!
Love and licks,
C
I do a lot of mind writing while I mow the yard. LOL!
That’s a GREAT place to mind-write, M.! #multitasking
Love and licks,
C
Love this quote
Inspiration for fun comes for unusual sources at time. Ideas for joy are always a good thing.