Lissette E. Manning

I get asked now and again about inspiration. How do I come up with ideas? Well, imagination is a quick answer but probably not really the whole story. I don’t think I necessarily have more imagination than anyone else. My first suggestion for inspiration is don’t let all your great thoughts go to waste. One thing I do have though is a habit to write it down whenever possible. Think of how many times you have a great idea flit through your mind? Are you able to hang onto it? I know I can’t. What will happen is later I’ll be thinking, gee I had a great scene idea this morning what was it? How frustrating. It’s like when you wake up from a dream. It’s gone quickly if you don’t make it stick.

My husband is even better than I am about it. He carries a little notebook with him and jots down his thoughts and idea as they come to him. It’s great for him but I haven’t become quite that disciplined yet. I do have some documents on my computer where I type in some information for myself. I also tend to write things down on post-its but I have to make sure I hang onto them!

Another thing that inspires me is the work of others. That is not to say copying or repeating the work of others. But I might be watching a movie or reading a book and suddenly consider a whole different scenario. It is completely distinct from what I’m looking at but somehow it triggered an idea in my brain. So, second suggestion, immerse yourself in the good work of others. This may mean reading some great authors, listening to music or watching a Hitchcock film. Find something that gets the gears in your brain turning.

My third suggestion is get out of the house. Writing can be a very insulating. Take the dog for a walk on a beautiful sunny day and let your mind wander. Go to the park with the kids. Go bike riding or swimming. Get your blood moving and your mind clear for new ideas to wander inside. Don’t forget to take your little notebook and a pencil!

Next, stress. Stress to me is a squelcher of my powers of imagination. There are two ways to look at this. One is that this only happens because I allow it, a sort of mind over matter argument and perhaps there is something to it. Perhaps it is easy to use “stress” as an excuse to be unproductive. However, this ends up being like the argument about whether writer’s block exists or not. If you can’t write, it exists, whatever the reason is.

I don’t think it can hurt to try to lower one’s stress for not only productivity but health. So, what do you do? I’d say it depends on you. They say pets can lower stress or even meditation. Maybe some moderate exercise but don’t add to your stress with unrealistic goals. Maybe try to attend to one or two of those to-do’s hanging around over your head. I’d say get a massage. That always helps me but it’s not always in the budget. Maybe a nice hot bath and some time to yourself? You probably know what works for you and try to schedule a little of that in. If your mind is focused on the electric bill, the babysitter and the new tires you need, it is hard to let anything else inside.

What helps you open your mind to inspiration? I’d love to hear about it.

Synopsis: The ABCs of Erotica collection takes readers on a sensual journey through the erotic alphabet from A is for Anal to Z is for Zipless F*ck.

The first bundle, Volume 1: A – C, contains the following short stories:

A is for Anal, short teaser story (1800 words).

Michael suspects Grace’s demure reserve hides a carnal nature. Michael introduces Grace to her naughty side and shows her the pleasures of backdoor play.

B is for Beach, short story (3200 words).

Every fantasized about sex on the beach? Erica and Ben have been talking online and now they meet in person for the first time.

C is for Cock Ring, short story (2600 words).

A Mistress Ven story — On his second visit to his new dominatrix, a new submissive experiences the combination of a cock ring and cato’ nine tails.

Erotica author, Malia Mallory, covers the erotic spectrum from BDSM to ménage and everything in between in her collection, The ABCs of Erotica.

About The Author:

Malia Mallory is the author of The ABCs of Erotica.

I live in Hawaii with my husband and a really cute canine. I’ve been working with words since alphabet blocks rolled into my crib, not only writing my own work but copy editing and proofreading the work of others. I’ve had multiple career incarnations and hope to make this one my last.

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