Writer Comforts

With NaNoWriMo only four days away, I am hearing more and more of my NaNo buddies "stocking up" on goodies and supplies to see them through their writing blitzes.  I must admit, I had not given a thought to what sort of "treats" I ought to keep on hand to reward myself during the thirty days of literary madness. My quirk is that I have so many jobs, and such a broad taste in food, that anything would make a great snack for me. So long as I have the luxury of sitting still in one chair the entire time and not being interrupted by anything - I count that as a real treat, especially if that "sitting still time" can be Writing Time.

What I do like, though, is a special drink. Hot chocolate, chai, lattes, hot tea, cider, ginger-beer --- put a cup of something perky in my hand (preferably hot, and non-alcoholic), and I am a happy gal.

My list of "NaNo Goodies" began in the back of my head just this morning while working with a trio of homeschooled siblings. The ten year old has a lovely habit of putting a kettle on to boil about eleven o'clock, and treating all the hard workers to a pot of hot tea right as they're getting to the really tangled parts of their lessons. Today, however, she pulled out the Russian Spice mix that her mother had made and stored in an old mason jar. A couple scoops into each cup, a generous libation of hot water over each, and voila - I was handed heaven in a cup.

Russian Spice Tea

Russian Spice Tea is a seasonal favorite as the days grow dark and the temperatures drop and - as my young pupil so rightly determined - now is the perfect time of year to pull it out. It's easy to make, the ingredients are not difficult or expensive, and keeps indefinitely in a sealed container. It's a bold, warming citrus tea that is just the balm to soothe a writer's soul. There are many recipes out there (just ask Google!), but an easy one that does the trick can be found right here.

But if the citrus-y savor of Russian Spice Tea isn't your style, then you're probably on the sweet and creamy end of things; in which case you'll want a totally different set of recipes.

Chai 

Cocoa and Chai Lattes: My friend, fellow writer and co-blogger Amanda over at Fly Casual put up a timely post about two weeks ago, showcasing a couple of her own homemade hot drink mixes. Check out her recommendations here for a couple of great, simple recipes for a one-cup cocoa concoction, as well as one AMAZING chai latte mix. (And great writerly insights to read while you're sipping your cup of heaven!)

I have plenty of cocoa mix here at the house, but I have every intention of putting together some chai latte mix this weekend. Or the Russian Tea. Hmmmmm. With November  almost here....I better stock up on both, just to be on the safe side. :-)

What about my blogging friends? What's your "comfort cup" 

when settling into a long evening of creativity?

Ringscar and the Guest Blogger

By the time this updates I will (hopefully) be in the air and on my way to a much-needed little vacation visiting friends out west. Under the heading of keeping my wonderful blog family up to snuff, here are a couple of little updates about what's going on:

1. Guest Blogger: First of all, since I'll be out of pocket for at least four days, I have asked the fantabulous Amanda from Fly Casual to do a guest blog for me on Friday!! So be sure to check back late Friday/early Saturday and see what sort of amazingness appears!

2. Ringscar says hello: NaNoWriMo begins in just over two weeks! Are you registered? Are you ready? Are you just going to plunge in headfirst and fly by the seat of your pants? Either way - the NaNoWorld welcomes you. Get over there and get ready! Then let me know how I can find you on the forums. I'm on there as Ringscar.

3. Read Much? Just in case you haven't discovered it yet, go over and check the book-friendly social network of Goodreads. It's like being in a big virtual library and being able to whisper to each other through the bookshelves. That and you can show off just how incredibly book-savvy you are, to boot.

4. Twitterpated: I am getting such great insights into the current agent/publishing industry that I am actively working on a weekly spotlight on my blog that, I hope, will be insightful to others as well. More details later - stay tuned.