What inspires Georgia Clark?
Redefining the queer space, favorite candles, a nighttime treat that unlocks clarity + one little joy-sparker
Let’s pour some champagne! Welcome to the premiere of a new monthly addition to Inspiration Everywhere, where I chat with artists about what inspires their work and keeps them going.
If you’ve been following along, you already know that I’m working towards finishing and publishing my first novel. No one has been more impactful in helping that dream come to life than my writing teacher,
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In addition to educating writers, empowering storytellers, and writing here on Substack, Georgia is also the romance author behind It Had to Be You, Island Time, and their newest, Most Wonderful (I’ll share all my favorite parts below interview)!
One of the best aspects of being in Georgia’s writing groups is getting a behind-the-scenes look into what it’s like to be a published, working writer. We’ve seen the glamorous moments, and the challenging ones too—all reminding us that ups and downs are part of the creative process.
Explore all the ways you can work with Georgia here!
I’m endlessly fascinated by the way artists research, work, rest, and play. If you are too, read on to see what fuels Georgia’s creativity, and consider subscribing to enjoy more interviews like it!
1. What themes or ideas recur in your work, and why do they hold such meaning for you? My most recent books bring to life queer joy, love, and sexuality, which, now more than ever, feels vital. Historically, queer narratives have been defined by darker emotions and experiences—coming out as scary, stressful, or unsafe; queer love as fraught or doomed; or even just the queer experience being seen through a straight lens that expresses disgust, fascination, or titillation.
I’m interested in queer narratives that express a more positive, hopeful, and joyful experience, one that reflects my own reality as a happily married queer woman. I don’t write stories where internalized or externalized homophobia is a conflict: my characters are still human and have their share of problems, but who they love and are attracted to isn’t the root cause of their issues.
I aim to write hopeful and entertaining stories that create a deeply pleasurable experience for all readers, especially the queer community. We deserve that.
2. Describe your ideal workspace: what surroundings, scents, and sounds fuel your creativity? My ideal workspace is a warm, cozy room with a crackling fireplace, looking out over a snowy vista in nature. Having grown up in Australia, snow is still somewhat of a novelty to me! Plus, if it’s snowing, I’m less likely to want to be outside in it.
Focus is essential to me, so no noise (I’m blasting white noise as I type this, as my wife is on a call in the other room!). I drink tea or coffee when writing, and I love burning a candle: my friends at The New Savant make my favorite scents.
3. Which artists do you admire, and what about their work resonates with you? In the romance space, I love Casey McQuiston, Emily Henry, and Tia Williams: their work is elevated, tender, hilarious, and feels modern and fresh.
In literary fiction, I love Emily St. John Mandel for her wild and free imagination, Ann Patchett for her sweeping, classic stories and the impressive longevity of her career, Rumaan Alam for clever social commentary, and Emma Cline and Lexi Freiman for their weird, it-girl cool.
Miranda July’s All Fours was riveting. Lucy Foley writes great ensemble thrillers. I loved the memoirs of Suleika Jaouad and Prince Harry. I recommend Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic to all creatives for its evergreen wisdom.
4. When you feel creatively stuck, do you have any rituals or go-to activities that spark your inspiration again? If it’s a big-picture problem, going for a long walk can be generative, as can talking out the problem with a friend—us writers tend to get caught up in the wars in our heads, and sometimes an outside perspective can help. If I have a writing day where I don’t feel raring to go, sometimes, you just have to force yourself to tap the keys, even when you’re not in the mood.
5. Are there specific places that make you feel most alive creatively—those that unlock a fresh vision or new energy? To be honest, I love smoking a little weed when brainstorming or while re-reading work at night: I’m typically very excited and positive about all my AMAZING ideas, and I can hear the characters with such INCREDIBLE clarity… and then, the next morning, I can figure out what was actually a good insight and what wasn’t!
6. What’s a recent or upcoming piece of published work you’ve created, and what are you most excited for your audience to experience? My new book, Most Wonderful, came out last month, and I’m excited for it to spread a little spicy queer joy this holiday season. Set in the snowy Catskills of upstate New York, the story follows three adult siblings: responsible eldest Liz, a Hollywood showrunner in love with her leading lady; messy middle child Birdie, a stand-up comedian more focused on wooing women than working on new material; and baby brother Rafi, a hopeless romantic whose public proposal has just been shot down.
The siblings return to their mother’s Catskills manor, heartbroken or disillusioned, all having sworn off love. But plans change when Rafi begins seeing his childhood best friend in a new light, Birdie meets a local artist, and the star of Liz’s show arrives from L.A. I wanted to write something joyful, funny, sexy, smart, and unabashedly queer.
7. Here on Inspiration Everywhere, I like to close out each post with a list of recent things that made me happy. What’s a moment from the past week that brought you joy? My daughter, Rozella (aka Rozie), brings me joy daily. She’s just over 2.5 years old and is the light of my life. She just wants to play, be present, eat snacks, be read to, giggle, and be silly: she’s a wonderful antidote to a stressful world. I recommend parenthood for all artists: for me, it’s been an essential balance!
Bonus: A Mini-Review of Georgia’s latest book, Most Wonderful
What I loved most:
🖤 The relationships between grown-up siblings. The dynamic between brothers and sisters fascinates me, and Most Wonderful treats us to three different personality types in Liz, Birdie, and Rafi. Every scene that all three of them are in together is an absolute treat.
🌟 A showbiz family. Liz is a TV showrunner (my dream job!), Birdie a standup comedian, and their mom, Babs, an actress. With all that dramatic energy, we get plenty of “shows within the show.”
🤣 The comedy. This book sparkles with specific references and offhanded remarks—exactly my humor. I haven’t been able to let go of the image of Martin Short going by on a child’s tricycle followed Bab’s assistant, holding three dogs on a skateboard, during the Belvedere’s epic holiday party.
🎄The setting. A Catskills manor decorated for the holidays while snow falls outside? Say no more.
🌶️ Sugar and spice. Reading this book feels like sipping a cozy mug of hot cocoa spiked with peppermint schnapps. Heartwarming moments mix perfectly with spice—if you’re here for the sexy scenes, you won’t be disappointed.
🎁 Buy yourself a copy of Most Wonderful, gift one to a friend, request copies from your library, and give it all the stars wherever you review books.
✍️ Creative Exercises/Journal Prompts
Find or bring back a signature scent to your workspace.
Identify a go-to vice or activity that loosens you up and allows you to create with less inhibition.
Think of a project you’ve worked on this year that you’re excited to share with friends or family over the holidays. Start practicing your “What’s new?” response!
☀️ Five good things
When we can recognize the things that bring us the most joy, we invite more of them into our lives. Here are five things that made me happy this week. Share yours below!
Five good things that happened this week:
Election weeks are tough, and this one was no different. I was so grateful to meet with Georgia and the rest of my writing group on Wednesday, where we each wrote and shared passages about hope.
After years of debating if it would be easy or a disaster, I finally pulled down the wire shelving from the big closet in my office where I used to podcast. And I spackled! And patched the paint! Usually, I need help changing lightbulbs, so this was a huge, empowering moment. I moved a new bookshelf in and am ready to create a pretty new space for storage and displaying artwork. More to come!
As some post-election therapy, I put together a new video segment for our podcast, Film to Table, featuring the best scenes from the movie Elf. Take a peek if you need a giggle or a smile!
I stocked every sink in the house with my favorite Christmassy hand soap from Mrs. Meyers.
My sister Lisa recommended the show Superstore, and it was such a joyful way to end each night this week. Season 1, Episode 4, "Mannequin," still has me in stitches every time I think about it.
💬 Share your intention
Whether it’s a giant leap, a tiny to-do list item, a habit change, or something else, there is power in accountability, and this is a safe space to share your aim. Some weeks, we’ll fail, others we’ll soar, but with support, we’ll always keep going together.
Until next week, get out there and make something beautiful.
Michelle
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Thank you so much for this thoughtful feature and supportive review, Michelle! All of your questions were so smart and generative. I’m so grateful to be working with you and can't wait to hold your first book in my hands!!!