Geeky Toys - what does it have to do with writing?

I confess, I am a gadget girl. I love geeky toys! My dad was a mechanic so I grew up helping him pull apart motors and putting them back together. This fostered a love of cars too. Machines fascinate me and this little gadget caught my eye.

So, what's this got to do with writing?

Inspiration, my friend, inspiration! Sometimes, if I'm a bit stuck for ideas, I half-watch TV whilst writing. Random things are thrown at my consciousness through ads and TV shows. Some of it pings off and some of it rattles down to the next level. The other day I wrote a piece about the challenges of juggling womanhood, motherhood, work and writing and the inherent guilt that goes with the territory. I didn't know what I was going to call the piece. Something on the TV screen caught my eye. Birds. Hummingbirds frantically going about their day. And I thought - 'hey, that's me!' So the piece is called Frantic Hummingbird.

Back to gadgets, because I can't stay away for too long... This perpetual motion machine is so cool. Made of wood, it's solar powered, so no batteries are required. Reminds me of old fashioned wooden toys. They didn't end up at charity stores like the plastic rubbish of today, they were passed down to the next generation as treasured heirlooms of childhood. I love that. Click on this link to see a video of it in action: Enjoy!

And how cool is this catapult?

Ok, one more, because I love robots!