What I See When I Walk Into My Study

My writing room at home is very small. And cluttered.

But I don’t look at the mess when I walk in the door. I look at the poster that is staring back at me on the vaulted ceiling, staring me right in the face.

This man changed my life. With a sock puppet. And a big imagination. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are all about Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and The Muppet Movie. Pure imagination, inspired hilarity, and boundless invention. When I’m asked who my heroes are, Jim Henson often beats out J.R.R. Tolkien as my answer.

Seeing him as I walk to my desk, I am truly inspired. This guy started with nothing more than a piece of fabric, a couple of ping-pong-balls, a black marking pen, and a big idea. When I’m writing the Auralia’s Colors stories, if I get stuck I sometimes ask, “What would happen in this scene if the characters were Muppets?” I’m reminded that I need to create the character’s unique voice and mannerisms in my head, just as each of the Muppets had their own personalities. When I ask “WWJHD?”, things happen.

So I am very, very interested in this news.