Every writer has a moment, person, book, place or thing that they seek in the middle of creative struggle. Coffee shop, shower, bath, closed-door office, booze... whatever.

Mine's usually the bath, but on occasion even that refuge just doesn't give Muse the kick in the rear she needs to jumpstart the flow. So then I seek out the books that inspired me, or gave me the inner sense of profound joy and rightness about my future as a writer. Steven King and Joe Straczynski's books top that list, and I had to pull them off the shelves recently. They helped, but not quite the rush I hoped to find.

Today I found it -- "it", that spark of magic within that fuels my creativity -- in a new place; the TV show Castle. It's a murder mystery, classic crime writer hooking up with cops to fight crimes. Murder She Wrote, only with a hunkier writer and updated for the times.

After watching the three eps of Castle, my Muse decided to leap off the chaise and back into the keyboard. I'm now plowing through my Hallmark treatment and I hope to have a workable first draft by the end of the evening. My fingers are finding the answers that my logical brain had lost.

Profound joy.

Rightness.

Words.

Castle's not all that groundbreaking a show, but it's staying on my watch list for a while. I owe it that much.