I'm Thankful For...

It's Thanksgiving Monday for me and my fellow Canadians. To honour (yes, Canadian spelling) the day here's a list of what this Canadian writer is thankful for.

10. The sensation of an elephant climbing off my shoulders every time a project is finished.

9. The delete key. Sometimes, it's the only humane option.

8. My thesaurus. Used with discretion, caution and prudence.

7. My imagination. Twisted it may be, but it least it keeps giving me plots.

6. My characters. Are they annoying? Yes. Frustrating? Yes. But, do I love them? With the fervor of a teenage first-love.

5. Coffee. Tea. Really, any non-alcoholic beverage. I've learned the bitter lesson that writing inspired by alcohol does not stand up well in the harsh light of day.

4. Google. Where oh where would a historical writer be without it? Well, I'd be in the British Museum. Wait. Maybe I'm not so grateful for Google.

3. Those late night inspirations. I wish the timing could be better, but I'll take 'em at any hour.

2. That magical moment of rereading some of my writing and thinking "Actually, this doesn't completely suck".

1. The writers that inspire me - Elizabeth George, Agatha Christie, Aaron Sorkin (to name a few) - and of course, all of you!