Five on Friday - Lisa Unger

Happy Friday all. Today Longmire Days kicks off and I spent yesterday roaming around Buffalo, Wyoming--the basis for Durant in the Walt Longmire books. I had breakfast at the Busy Bee, peeked in the Occidental Hotel and visited Crazy Woman Canyon. There will be more pictures after my trip, but here's a fun one for you this Friday, the counter at The Busy Bee

And while I'm out fighting all the Longmire fans at this weekends festivities, I have a new Five on Friday for you. Lisa Unger is no stranger to the blog, and I'm thrilled to have her back.

Lisa is the New York Times bestselling author of the Lydia Strong and Ridley Jones novels as well as three novels set in her fictional town called The Hollows and three standalones. The most recent Hollows book, In the Blood, comes out in paperback on Tuesday. And in Lisa's near future, she's going to delve into the YA fantasy realm. You can read more about that on her website. But now let me wander off to the Longmire festivities and let Lisa take over the Five on Friday hot seat!

The most bizarre place I ever found inspiration for a story was my own mailbox! I received a mailer, which featured an advertisement on one side and, on the other, an age-graduated photograph of a missing child. I was struck with the idea that someone might be lost and never found. Then I had this thought: What if I looked at this flier and recognized myself? That was the germ for BEAUTIFUL LIES.

The last book I recommended to someone was Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. It is one of my very favorite books about the craft. Lamott writes eloquently about process, the journey, and the emotional truths of the writing life. I find inspiration whenever I pick it up.

My biggest pet peeve is people who put their seats all the way back on the airplane. I understand that some people are tall, and that airplane seats are uncomfortable. However, the very least you can do is look behind and ask if it’s all right. I consider it an allegory for a larger issue. If everyone had a little more consideration for others, the world would be a better place.

A superstition or ritual I have to observe when I write is: I have absolutely no superstitions or rituals to observe when I write. I think those things are just excuses not to write, as if to say: “If conditions are not perfect I can’t do what I intended to do today.” There are too many real world distractions internal and external, too many obstacles to finding that creative head space. Why set yourself up for failure by imposing more conditions?

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: I don’t really have a “bucket list,” mainly because the whole idea of it is depressing. I live pretty close to my truth and my husband Jeffrey and I are intrepid travelers and explorers, so when there’s something I want to do, I generally do it. But, I will say that Asia is a big gap in my travel experiences. And my fantasy trip right now is taking the Orient Express from Singapore to Bangkok. I’ll let you know when we book it!

Many thanks to Lisa for joining us today for Five on Friday! I'm in agreement with Lisa on the airplane seat thing. And, the Orient Express sounds very exciting...and idea-provoking. Thanks to you all for being patient with me as I got ready for this trip. More fun details to come. You can watch the Facebook and Twitter accounts, for live-ish updates from Buffalo. In the mean time, happy reading my friends!!