Image acquired from multiple Facebook postings
What’s your muse?
Most people, when talking about a muse, describe a gentle being wafting words and images. It makes writing easier. “Oh, I can’t work today because I’m not INSPIRED.” (delicate hand on brow)
I’m going to change this up to food. Some people don’t cook unless INSPIRED. Until hunger starts edging them on. And this is all well and good for one person.
But if you got a large family, waiting for inspiration, or at least enough hunger that you are interested in putting together a meal, just doesn’t work. You have to plan in advance, walk into the kitchen at a certain time, and get it done. Because you are not the only person to be considered for the meal.
This is the difference of writing for yourself and writing for eventual publication. The small private muse and the monster muse. You want money with writing, you want publication, your muse needs to be hard-core day-in-day-out. She will lift weights daily; the hard-core muse doesn’t just drop by on a Saturday afternoon for tea once and a while. You got to plan her workouts – either daily 500 count word sprints or three hours set aside on Tuesday night when the kids are at practice. Whatever gets her to the gym – or you in your chair regularly.
You want to eat and put a roof over your head from your writing? Or at least write something other people will read? The alabaster muse needs an accident.
Here are a couple of the Magical Words postings about the Muse. By the way, Faith Hunter’s muse is not alabaster – and he has helped her pound out over forty manuscripts.
6/23/2009 – Misty Massey – Sneaking up on the muse –
1/28/2014 – Faith Hunter – Rules of Thumb –