I lost my muse…if I ever had one.
Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time… The wait is simply too long.
Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)
I think this might be my favorite writing quote.
I don’t have a muse. I might have at one point, but apparently I’ve worked him/her so hard that he/she no longer cooperates.
I write every day. Sometimes it’s a very little as I find anything and everything to do before I get to the actual writing part (including blog hopping to every blog in the known universe) but eventually I get someting written down.
None of this waiting for the muse to inspire me crap.
I know a lot of authors talk about their muses, but I don’t get it. I’m not trying to be difficult, I truly don’t get it.
Sometimes the writing goes better than other times…is that because of my muse? I prefer to think it’s because I’m letting the characters speak through me than trying to write them, but is that what the muse lets you do?
I mean, I know no one actually has a little being sitting on their shoulder whispering in their ear, but what does your “muse” mean to you?
Do I actually have one and just prefer to take the credit myself?
You know, if I did have a muse, I hope he’d look like this (I write a lot…I’d need three muses).
January 27th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
My personal approach is if this fictional muse doesn’t get her act together, I whack her over the head with a stick until she does. Someone asked me once if I waited for inspiration to strike. Heck, no! If I did that, I wouldn’t have written 3 books. You have to write your way through the rough spots, or in my case, write it in every possible WRONG way before you find the right way. It’s always there. Sometimes it’s just harder to discover.
January 27th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
I’ve been a little lost on the muse front myself. I don’t know if my muse is just quiet or if we’re not communicating effectively, or what. I guess I have moments where it flows better than others… Is that my “muse”?
I think maybe I’m too busy trying to get my characters to stay in line and do what I tell them to do… They’re enough for me to handle without adding any other voices in my head!
January 27th, 2006 at 11:46 pm
First, I just want to say Hi - I’ve seen your comments on April’s site several times and thought that today I’d spend a few minutes surfing the web and check you out. (in other words I was looking for a distraction from working on editing :) )
Awesome web! Not to mention great job on selling your books! Three of them look very interesting to me! :) Guess that means I’ll be putting in some reading time here in the next few weeks! :)
On the subject of muse or musing, however it’s properly said, I never heard that term before. From what all three of you have said, I take it, it is what makes you want to write. I have discovered that personally I can write a tremendous amount if its new. Just as I’ve discovered that when it comes to editing for the umpteenth time(even its been extremly benifical, needed and productive) its like pulling teeth for me. Setting strict deadlines has helped get my butt in gear but I truly miss the ‘fun’ of writing just to write with no thought to punctation or grammer or missing links in the plot.
So if that’s a missing muse then I guess I’ve been struggling with it the last couple of weeks and I’m more anxious then ever to wrap this story up and get it back in the mail so that I can get back in the groove. Or in this case with the muse. :)
Cole
January 28th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Really, I have no comment except about the pic! Hamana drool!
Yes, I’m shallow that way ;)
January 28th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Oh yeah, good luck finding your muse :)
January 28th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
I agree with Nicole. For me, too, muse is what makes me want to write. But normally I just have to park myself in the chair and write. Btw, your three muses look inspiring, don’t they?
January 28th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
Thanks everyone for the muse input.
Thanks for stopping by, Nicole!
Yep, I think I might make these three guys my muses. That way I can just look at them a lot, right?
January 28th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
I blogged about this recently, so you can hop over and check it out. :) You’re on the right track. Just write right through it!
January 29th, 2006 at 12:13 am
Thought you’d enjoy this Emma. The writer who spoke at our writer’s group meeting today said, “Everyone talks about muses… I don’t rely on a muse because every time I need her the witch is off helping other authors!”
Made me think of this post :-)
January 29th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Thanks for thinking of me, April!! I LOVE the quote!!