No, not one of those Wall Street banks.  I only wish I knew what to do about those.  In recent months, I've laid off the cable news channels in my house, because they seem to add little to my understanding of current events and much to my general feeling of unease.  But this week, that resolution is out the window.  It's all about AC360 right now.  And I don't mean to turn into a political blogger, but right now the uncertain state of our economy is really sapping...not my will to write, exactly, but definitely my excitement about writing.  Is anyone else out there feeling the same?

If there's one thing the pundits agree on, it's that this whole situation is far from over.  Like it or not, I had better just get used to writing through uncertain times.   So I'm going to focus on keeping my writing bank accounts healthy and robust.  You know, refilling that well of words inside.

Reading, of course, is the main way writers do this.  And as I blogged last week, I have a whole slew of new historicals calling me to my local bookstore today.  Thank heaven for happy endings.  But I realize I've neglected my non-romance reading of late, and I'm going to finally read a few other books that have been languishing on my shelves. The ones positively screaming at my from the bookcase this morning are Suite Francaise and March - both of which deal with moral ambiguity and personal responsibility during times of upheaval and war...hmmm.  I sense a trend.

Then I've signed up for a few daily email services.  A Word A Day, to build that vocab, and one that sends me a daily classic poem.  I adore poetry, and I don't read enough of it.  Critically reading a poem, for me, is like a gym workout.  There's this initial hurdle of effort that holds me back, for sheer laziness.  But when I do make the effort, I come away from it so energized, I wonder why it is I can't be arsed to make it a daily habit.  And poems don't require a change of clothes, or gym membership.  So a poem a day it is.

What do you do to refill your writer's bank of words and inspiration?

And

Happy New Year to those celebrating the Jewish high holidays!