About the Author
Molly
Ringle has been writing fiction for over twenty years. With her
intense devotion to silly humor, she was especially proud to win the
grand prize in the 2010 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest with one
(intentionally) terrible sentence. Molly grew up in the Pacific
Northwest, and lives in Seattle with her husband and children. Her
studies include a bachelor of arts in anthropology and a master of
arts in linguistics. She was a Tri-Delta in college, in an old
sorority house that was supposedly haunted, which inspired some of
the central ideas for 'The Ghost Downstairs.' She also loves folklore
and mythology, and is working on new novels about the Greek myths.
'Persephone's Orchard' is the first in the series. When not writing,
she can often be found experimenting with fragrances, chocolate, and
gardening.
Author's links:
10 things that inspire Molly Ringle
- Tending a garden: Pruning or deadheading or raking or watering makes the garden look better, and means I've improved the beauty of this corner of the world. The plants smell good and I get exercise while I'm at it. Planting seeds is inspiring too, because then I've contributed to future beauty. Perhaps I won't see seedlings for three weeks, and a grown flower or vegetable for three months, but it gives me something to look forward to.
- Food/tastes: This combines the importance of nourishment with the sensuous pleasure of tastes and smells (see next item). I'm not a very ambitious cook, but I do try to test a new recipe every couple of weeks, at least, and I keep the best ones and give them in a packet to my relatives at Christmas. They probably never make them, but I feel I've accomplished something that way.
- Perfume and smelling things: Enjoying scents is one of my favorite hobbies, in particular perfume but also natural smells like rain, plants, the random smells of various places, etc. Even reading other people's descriptions and reviews of perfumes relaxes me. I suspect it's because it's a great way to center myself in the present. Scents are by their nature ephemeral and only happening "now" (although they do take us back almost magically to memories sometimes), so they force us to enjoy or at least experience the current moment. Hence my cabinet shelf packed with way too many little bottles and sample vials of various fragrances. But don't worry; I only wear subtle amounts. I'm not one of those "bowl you over with my perfume" people.
- Astronomy: I enjoy the moon, comets, planets, stars, and other heavenly objects when viewing them is a viable option (somewhat rare here in cloudy, light-polluted Seattle). Trite though this observation is, it's grounding to look light-years out into the cosmos and view those same little shining lights that everyone on Earth, throughout human history, has looked upon. Plus you get comets and meteors and supernovae, which have not always been in our skies, and are more like special treats for the present year or moment. Maybe looking into space makes us feel small and insignificant, but that means our seemingly gigantic problems are now small and insignificant too. So that helps.
- Old books and stories: The actual binding doesn't have to be old. A modern edition is fine. But there's something about reading the classics that makes me happy. Yes, there are classics that don't work for me (everyone's got a list of those), but the ones that do are such treasures. Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, Victor Hugo, E.M. Forster, etc., not to mention the ancient myths that have survived, all have ways of showing me that, despite varying circumstances, humans have lived with the same emotions and the same struggles and the same quirky senses of humor all these millennia. It proves we mortals are not strangers to each other across time, and thereby reminds us not to feel like we're strangers with each other across the globe in our own time either.
- Deep breathing: I'm inspired by breathing? Perhaps not as weird as it sounds. The word "inspire" used to mean "breathe into"--it carries the same root as "respire." When I employ good constant deep breathing, and keep it up as I go about my day, colors start looking brighter, edges crisper, tasks more manageable, life more full of hope. Maybe it isn't literally a muse breathing an idea into me, but it's oxygen to the brain and body, and that's pretty important too.
- Dreams: They're vitally important in my book Persephone's Orchard, and I've used my own dreams directly as story inspiration before. Sure, usually my dreams make no sense, or I can't remember them, but once in a while a creatively strange idea finds its way from my unconscious into my waking conscious, and a story forms around it.
- Humor: This one's a lifesaver, or at least a sanity saver, relationship saver, and overall health improver. Plus it's a fully legal good time. So whether it be highbrow comic literature or LOLcats, I do love to indulge in a laugh and balance out my cranky side.
- Rediscovering what I already have; e.g., cleaning out a drawer or closet: Not only do I make the house cleaner by doing so, but I often regain the enjoyment of some item or commodity I totally forgot I even owned. Sometimes I recover a memory from finding such objects, too.
10. My kids: I know it's a cliche, but
truly, they do say the absolute craziest things. I couldn't make this
stuff up. They had this conversation the other day:
7-year-old: Do you hate people?
4-year-old: No. I only hate chickens.
7-year-old: I totally agree.
I have no idea why they said any of
that. Sometimes talking to them or listening to them makes me feel
like I'm losing my mind. But it can also be hilarious and cute, and
certainly inspiring.
I too find it very inspiring and super cute when little children have conversations. My boys are the same way and it always make me laugh. Thank you again Molly for allowing me to show everyone what inspires you! Everyone else I hope you take the time and check out Molly's website or goodread ( links posted above) Thanks all for taking a blog trip with the Super Tale-Spinners!
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Riddle me Dee Riddle me Tee I'm so Happy you decided to leave a comment for Me!! ( okay maybe I shouldn't try to write anything clever.) Thanks for showing us some love!