Writing can be a difficult process, and there are times when we all need some sort of inspiration to urge us on. So today the Chicks share with you the lucky charms, talismans, or knick-knacks that we keep on our desks to inspire and prompt us when our muse has temporarily flown the coop.
Lisa Q. Mathews
Meet Piggy (below). He is one-knuckle high, and currently the only trinket allowed on my mom’s enormous French desk, because 1. It is covered in To-Do stuff and 2. I am easily distracted. I also love my tornado-in-a-bottle “tchotchke” that I got from the Weather Channel in the 90s (with a twirl of the wrist, the snow-globe-type sparkles form a “real” twister!), but…like I said: Distraction. I took Piggy home from a friend’s funeral service last Christmas. She collected pigs and asked that they all be adopted. Piggy came with a beautiful quote from Winnie-the-Pooh (see photo). He reminds me to always be kind and keep in mind What Really Counts, especially when I’m stressed.
Ellen Byron
Los Angeles has a vibrant Chinatown where I used to buy tea and cute gifts for our kiddle. (The tea shop closed and kiddle is now nineteen.) Whenever I visited, I’d also buy good-luck talismans, especially around television staffing season, when I needed all the luck I could get.
On my recent trip to New Orleans, I bought some orange blossom water at a store called Haus of Hoodoo. I asked the saleswoman what to do with it, and she said that most people put it on their altar. Hmm, I thought. My collection of good-luck charms has always been scattered all over our office. When I got home, I rounded up most of them up and created an altar of sorts on top of my CPU. In addition to the Eau D’Orange, you’ll notice one item that’s not from Chinatown. I made a hundred gris gris bags to celebrate the launch of Body on the Bayou, my second Cajun Country Mystery. I couldn’t resist keeping one for myself!
Vickie Fee
A dictionary may seem an obvious tool for a writer, but a bit of an odd talisman. However, this well-worn pocket dictionary is special. It was with me through all my college term papers, always in my desk drawer during my years as a newspaper reporter, and has resided next to my desktop computer since I started writing mysteries.
My favorite elementary school teacher gave it to me for winning the third grade spelling bee. There’s a handwritten congratulatory note on the cover page, and I’ve always treasured it. When putting together this post, it occurred to me I should look her up on Facebook — I figured there couldn’t be that many people with her somewhat unusual last name. I found her! It was great for me to be able to tell her thank you for being a wonderful teacher who made a difference in the life of a shy, bookish third grader.
Cynthia Kuhn
What does it mean if you don’t have a single lucky charm on your desk? I mean, I do have things that are very special in the vicinity, like the many pieces of art that the kiddos have brought home over the years. Those are treasures!
But the only talisman I’ve ever had was a round white clay medallion featuring Pegasus. I hung it over my desk during grad school since someone said that the famous winged horse was affiliated with the muse. Or poetry. Or writing. Something with creativity, anyway. Just now realizing that I haven’t seen it in years. Must have been lost in a move! So instead, here are a few of the aforementioned treasures…
Leslie Karst
Tlamati and RBG: When my mother was an anthropology student at UCLA back in the 1960s, she took a class in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. Later, Mom became a potter, and one of the sculptures she created was this one of Tlamati, which means “wise man” or “sage” in that ancient tongue.
So I thought it appropriate that Tlamati should have a place on my desk next to my action figure of our modern-day sage, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The two of them inspire me to be thoughtful and brave in my writing.
Kathleen Valenti
In addition to dust and periodic salsa stains, my desk sports a variety of items, including kid crafts, my prized “cereal killer” spoon, a humorously threatening placard, and this little number, front and center:
Gripping a coffee cup and surrounded by “spooky tales,” this custom-ish Lego Mini-Fig, gifted to me by the ad agency where I work, is the perfect representation of who I am. Actually, it’s the perfect representation of what I’ve always wanted to be: an author.
Lego Me is testament to the power of dreams, hard work and good old-fashioned stubbornness. And, perhaps most importantly, a wonderful reminder to keep what I want to be, rather than what others want me to be, in focus.
It’s also fun to play with during conference calls.
Becky Clark
I’m not really a tchotchke kinda gal, I guess. Aside from my computer, of course, I only need three things on my desk to get me writing or to keep me writing.
My glass of water. Not pictured, because I’m right-handed and this is a photo of the left side of my desk. It was staged, though, so I could have placed it in there. So sue me.
My to-do list. There are two things in this world I hate: forgetting stuff I need to do and having to think. My schedule keeps me out of the hate zone.
The calendar I use to keep track of my progress. Writing can be such a long slog that it often seems like I’m not making progress. So every hour I jot down what I’ve accomplished—word count, page count—whether I’m drafting or revising, and can actually point to forward motion.
You might think that ink pens are some mystical talisman for me, but, no. I’m just a pen thief who has run out of room in her pen cup. (And yes, before you clean your glasses, that is a trampoline I stand at while I work.)
Readers, do you have any lucky charms that you keep by your side? Drop us a note in the comments below!
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What a fun post! Thanks ladies.
I have two action figures on my desk: Batgirl and Linda, the mom from Bob’s Burgers cartoon. One day my two year old screamed at the desk and pointed toward the figures. “That’s you!”
I asked her, “which one?” knowing deep down I already had her answer…
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I would-a guessed Batgirl, for sure.
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I’m a Linda too!
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Love this, Etta!
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Love it!
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Vickie … it’s such a coincidence you gave a shout-out to and about your teacher because just last night hubs and I watched a Queer Eye episode where they went back to one of the guy’s high schools to makeover the beloved performing arts teacher. It was very teary for everyone and brought to mind all the teachers who made a difference in my life. I still have—but not on my desk—the chirping Woodstock on a spring my English teacher gave me when I graduated high school.
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So many teachers are really angels in disguise! Becky, I’m surprised you don’t have a parquet square beneath your desk so you can tap dance as you write! (But, the trampoline is cool!)
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Okay, that made me laugh!
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I don’t really have any lucky charms, but I enjoy reading about yours.
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Thanks, Mark. I really enjoyed reading about my fellow Chicks talismans, too.
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Vickie–I have that exact same edition of the Follett Vest-Pocket Dictionary, except it’s Spanish-English, from my junior high Spanish days. And I loved that teacher too (though she didn’t give me the book): Srta. Esquivel. What a hoot and fab teacher she was!
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I had the French-English version!
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I had the French-English version too but a blue cover. 🙂
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Muy and tres cool, Chicas! ❤
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So fun to learn more about my fellow Chicks’ “secret” desk-lives. I loved every one of these! And we will find Cynthia a Pegasus.
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Aw! Thank you!! 😘
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Yes! I am already on the lookout! I hate losing things in the move!
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Loved these…now I kind of want to see everyone’s WHOLE desk top! (Is that weird?)
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LOL, Cynthia even I can’t see my whole desktop — too much clutter mixed in with the good luck charms!
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Now that would be interesting
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I loved reading this! Honestly, so touching. Leslie, your mom was an amazing potter. And Kathy… the kids’ art! Tears emoji.
I used to have an origami squid my daughter made me on the corner of my screen but it fell off and I can’t find it. Maybe it’s with Pegasus, Cynthia!
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Kid art is so special. The flowerpot (sort of) pictured has a paper flower with Cecilia’s sweet little third-grade face at its center. And the monster is Dom’s creation.
Hopefully the origami squid turns up!
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This was so much fun reading these. It’s quite a diverse collection. I often wondered if published authors believed in what we nano peeps call “mascots”.
I have a talisman, but not sure if it’s bringing me any good luck. It’s a Godiva teddy bear with a chef hat and apron. I call him Truffles.
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Hestia, a teddy bear can’t be anything but good luck! 🙂
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I’m guessing the bear isn’t made of chocolate? If so and it were mine it would have long ago been devoured.
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Alas, not made of chocolate, since it’s still around 7 years later. But he definitely looks like chocolate. He’s got the look of Swiss milk chocolate fur, with a couverture chocolate apron and nose, a white chocolate (of course it’s not real chocolate unless you talk to my ex, who thinks all chocolate is white that gets dyed different colors) hat and those eyes have to be a semi-sweet kiss. Cute little guy.
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I love all of these Chicky tchotchkes so much!! Such diversity and so many great stories. And I totally teared up at the teacher mentions. ❤
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