T'n'T's Confidential: Susan D. Taylor

It's Thursday my dear readers and that means another installment of T'n'T's Confidential! Today author Susan D. Taylor is visiting and giving us a glimpse of the things she needs to write. (I'm totally with the coffee thing too *winks*). Go for it, Susan!

7 Writing Resources I Use to Write...Better

By Susan D. Taylor

Thank you Elyzabeth for inviting to T n' T's Confidential

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In a Dream Beyond.
I don’t know if I write better with my stash of things but, I believe with them, the writing is a bit easier. Without them, I’d survive, but I don’t know if I’d be as balanced.

#1-Coffee. Yes it’s the first thing I reach for when I get out of bed and especially around four in the afternoon. Not so much at night. I get up early, well before sunrise. Once caffeinated the whole world seems at peace.

#2-Computer. If I had to write with a pen or pencil, nothing would get done. My handwriting is horrible. I’d write in the margins and cross out every other word if not every word. If there were no computers, I’d never have the opportunity to write. Or write much.

#3-Water. This one comes up again. I drink lots of water. Hydration for creation. If you start wilt, immediately it’s not the coffee cup I look for but a glass of water. That is after I’ve had my morning Joe.

#4-Shower. Seriously, some of my best ideas have arrived during a shower. And not because I write erotica, so don’t go there. I take a hot-as-the-handle-will-go shower. I love watching the steam billow, tiny droplets rise in the morning light coming through the bathroom. I relax and then BAM, an idea or answer to some writing dilemma is delivered. If a waterproof laptop is ever invented, I’ll be set. Albeit a bit more wrinkled…

#5-Quiet. Oh yeah, I’m one of those. I love music. All types, but I get too emotionally charged. If I want to write, I tune out everything. I love to use music to inspire or to latch onto an emotion or motivation before writing. But during the quiet, I hear the story and characters. Then it’s as though the story moves through me and I type. Fast as I can.

I do use playlists, so if anyone is interested in hearing what does proved inspirational for
Secret Desire my upcoming release is found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYVx7MVN3tep96b26-kmVnv0PXnmlbubP

#6-Elliptical Trainer. I’m ADHD and need to unwind at night. I do yoga but physically need a rapid release of energy late at night. I spend 45 minutes to an hour on the trainer. I have a Kindle Fire and found this is a terrific way to exercise and read. Seems almost too good to be true.

#7-My Husband. He listens to my writing. Truly, reading aloud to him helps me focus on the way the story sounds (cadence), and yes, even catch typos. It’s not the same reading aloud alone. With him, I want to take care and read carefully. He’s the best, and at times when I’m stuck on just the right word, he offers an objective outlook.

So, these are my seven. I know there are countless things, people and even my pets that I’d miss. Yet these SEVEN are what keep me happily writing. Please share what keeps your spirits high. It doesn’t
have to be relative to writing. What keeps you going at work or home or during a challenge? Really what helps you take that extra step?

Catch me here: Website: http://taylormadefiction.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/romancebysusan
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SusanTaylorAuthor
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/susanarden/

Upcoming Releases
Secret Desire – February 1, 2013 Contemporary Erotic Romance, Etopia Press E-book (Susan D. Taylor)
Branded By Desire – April 1, 2013 Western Erotic Romance, Crimson Press E-book & Print (Susan Arden)
Collared For A Night – 2013 Paranormal Erotica Romance, Crimson Press E-book  -Rocky Mountain Shifters (Susan Arden)
Ocean of Love – 2013 An Adult Fairytale – Amazon.com (Susan D. Taylor)

Favorite Quote: “Sexy is a strange thing. I'm not sure it has to do with sex. Sexy has to do with not knowing what's coming next. It's unpredictability.” ― Christopher Walken

What's going to happen this week... and how to learn to drive in Spain

It’s another manic Monday, Readers! I have grand plans for this week here at the blog. T’n’T’s Confidential brings authors CR Moss and Susan Taylor to visit. Wednesday, I’ll be continuing my Wednesday Brief, Clare, which ended when the young girl fell into a puddle of blood. (Read it here). Since Six Sentence Sunday is officially over *sniff*, I’m going to start participating in Sexy Snippets. But today, Monday, I’m really nervous because I’m taking my first real driver’s lesson!!!!

Learning how to drive in Spain is no mean feat. It isn’t because people here only drive stick shift (automatic cars are a new thing that fortunately are slowly but surely kicking in) but because it costs one helluva’lot of money. Rumors abound about driving school mafias and under the table payments.

This is how things work here:

First of all, you must keep in mind that you must learn how to drive at an official driving school. No, your parents, godparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends…no one can teach you how to drive except a teacher from a driving school. Why is this? The reason for this is because driving school cars are special and they have two sets of pedals, one for the driver and another for the co-pilot, aka, the teacher.

With that in mind, you turn to look for the best driving school you can find that won’t cost you a fortune. Registration fees range from anywhere between 100 Euros to almost 500€. Usually, they include classes on the driving manual, the actual book, and access to old written tests. Sometimes, they’ll throw in a few driving lessons. In my case, my driving school included 10 driving lessons on a simulator and 10 lessons in a real car.

There’s two ways to pass the written test. One, you study the book on your own and go take the test (that’s another 80euros to pay). Two, you go to class and go take the test. On both instances, what they recommend you do is take all the old tests you can until you memorize the answers. I chose option one and passed the test with only 1 mistake.

The written test is the easy part and the cheap part. Driving lessons are priced anywhere from 26 to 35 or even 40 euros per lesson. I’m not sure if it’s by law, but most driving schools will not allow you to take the driver’s test without taking a minimum of 10 classes. Do your math… yep, 10 classes at say 28euros per class is 280 Euros. Normally, people take anything between 20 to 60 classes. Don’t do your math, the figure is just scary. *shiver*.

To take the driver’s test you have to pay another 80euros. This fee only allows you to take the test twice. If you fail both times, you have to pay again, and so on and so forth until you pass. I’ve known people that haven’t passed until the 5^th or 6^th time around.

The worst of all this is that even after investing all this money in learning how to drive, Spanish drivers aren’t good drivers. In 2010 there were about 500 more deaths in Spain than in Great Britain, just to cite an example.* Madrid is popularly known as “the jungle”, so imagine how that abodes.

Anyhow, I’m deviating from what I wanted to say…I have my first driving lesson today and I’m terrified. Ahhhhhhhhh!

*http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/statistics/index_en.htm