I've decided to be a tease! This post will give you some small ideas about 'When I see your Face', soon to be released and a debut novel(la) that I care about a lot.

For people living in the US or in Europe, Valentine's Day is part and parcel of all the holidays celebrated every year. I don't want to join the debate about whether this day is just another commercial ruse or a good opportunity for people who love each other to get some quality time and gift each other some happiness – instead, I want to have a quick look at how The Day of Love(rs) is celebrated all around the globe.

ASIA

In China, Valentine's Day isn't celebrated at all. Muslims countries like Pakistan have banned the holiday.

In Japan, on the other hand, there are two separate days for the same cause: On February 14th, boys are gifted chocolate from the girls, while on March 14th, it’s the other way around.

In India, people who are too young or belong to a certain religious group are not allowed to officially celebrate Valentine's Day.

In Vietnam, couples make it a point to dress in the same colours and / or clothes to express their closeness.

In South Korea, the 14th of each month is dedicated to some love matter from Hug Day to Movie Day or Wine Day.

EUROPE

In Italy, lovers tie small padlocks with inscriptions to bridges and throw away the key as a symbol of a relationship that can't be broken.

In Finland, it is more of a general day of affection because friends are remembered and surprised with gifts just as much as loved ones.

In Scotland, a party game for singles is often celebrated where all write their name on a piece of paper. Out of a hat, each man and woman has to draw a name and then spend the evening together with that person.

In Denmark, it is not unusual to send your crush anonymous love poems where dots for the number of letters are the only clue to the (male) sender's name. Is the name guessed correctly, the girl will be gifted with an Easter egg during the Easter holidays.


What about your country and your personal preference? Do you celebrate Valentine's Day at all? If yes, how?

Words are my life. So much so that I have sometimes wondered whether I have letters running through my veins instead of blood.

All jokes aside, I simply can't imagine a life without writing and reading. Which brings me to the point I want to get across today: Every aspect of life can be incorporated in writing and serve as an inspiration.

All too often, you hear a writer complain that their muse has left them and they don't know where to get writing inspiration from. That is something I just can't understand. Yes, writer's block does exist and I do know that sometimes, you don't feel like writing or you aren't satisfied with what you write – but that doesn't mean that there is a lack of inspiration. To me, a writer isn't somebody who sits with their pen hovering over the page or their fingers poised over the keyboard, waiting for that magical voice to whisper a story into their ear. To me, writing comes from within myself and can be 'inspired' by anything and everyone.

Just living will surely provide you with an abundance of writing prompts. Listening to the news, watching people when you are out and about, dealing with problems, experiencing happiness, interacting with family, friends and colleagues, reading somebody else's work or taking a walk with open eyes and ears will serve as a treasure-trove of inspiration.

Sometimes, a name I stumble upon, a face I see in the crowd, some incident that happens to me or that somebody tells me about, a dream or a random thought I wake up with leaves me with an itch to turn it into a story, novel, episode, side-note or blog article.

Whether it is the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the feelings inside us or a will to share and teach something, the simplest factors may trigger brilliant writing. Even fantasy stories and science-fiction are inspired by what happens in real life. More often than not, they stem from the wish to change reality or to show things in a different light. If you take contemporary romance, you will notice that the stories revolve around people like you and me, facing life.

Ultimately, writing is a process that comes from within. You can take everything happening outside as a trigger, use all the advice you can get and even hunt actively for inspiration, but it is your will to write and what you make out of the input that counts in the end. Nobody can write your book for you – yes, I know, people have books and articles ghost-written all the time (my job!) but that is not what I'm talking about. Your writing is what you yourself have thought up and put down on paper or typed on your computer. Whatever the inspiration, you are the driving force behind the wheel and not the car being driven.

That is why, in my eyes, writing is living and living is writing.

Let's hear your thoughts on the whole matter! Do you have special things that inspire you? Do you use writing prompts like the wonderful ones found here on Facebook? From what do you get your best ideas? Leave me a comment because I’m always interested in learning how my fellow writers go about their tasks.

Does that ever happen to you, too? That you think up a situation or indulge in some fantasy or other and the whole thing gets played out in sentences written in your mind and not in a movie-like sequence of pictures?
It happens to me all the time. Especially during the minutes before falling asleep - which is also a time when I get ideas for new stories or think up a scene of a story I'm currently working on.

Have you read my debut romance novel When I see your face? Then you know that heroine Cathy wants nothing more than to start her own business by baking and selling special cake creations. Here's the delicious recipe for the first cake that she tries out. Maybe it will help you to win your very own heartthrob over ...