Care and Feeding of Your Muse during the Holidays by JC Hay

Image: Melpomene, The Muse of Tragedy; Elizabeth Sirani

November is drawing to a close, and writers all over are scribbling like mad to hit their word-counts for NaNoWriMo before the month ends. Likewise, those with a wintery bent turn their thoughts to what can be accomplished in what remains of the year. With holidays for many, and gatherings both sacred and secular, it’s a season of hassles, travels, and travails, and it’s too easy to lose the muse in the rush of confusion and crazy. Here then are some ideas I like to use to keep my muse well cared-for.

1)   Keep a notebook with you – if you’re like me, you’re going to spend the holidays around people who are likely to say or do something ridiculous. While I would never insert my family directly into a story, I do like to jot down inspirations and events that I can re-interpret once I’m back in front of the keyboard. Be prepared to grab ideas from all around you, and think about how your characters might respond in a similar situation. The little notes and jots can be a source for scenes, quirks and future stories; just the sort of building blocks with which the muse likes to play.

2)      Feed your Muse – The muse consumes other media as part of her diet, and in the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to forget to feed her. Read every day, or take in a movie, or engage in some other, non-writing creativity. Graphic novels, audiobooks, theatre and film let you look at story without thinking about the words themselves – it can be a good way to help you find new ways into your story. The point is to let the muse kick back and relax, and feel like she’s having fun without boring her. She’ll be fired up and ready to help you when you sit down at the keyboard. Which brings us to the most obvious thing…

3)      Make time to write – Creativity is a muscle like any other, and if you don’t use it, it starts to atrophy. Set aside 30 minutes or more each day, away from the hubbub and craziness, and just write. If you don’t have a laptop, write longhand (the change in process might even fire your muse up more). If you’re not working on a current WiP, then break out a list of writing prompts and write about one of those. Make the time, and make sure your family and friends respect your writing time (lockable doors and hotel rooms help with that).

That’s the things I try to do to keep the fires of creativity burning in the winter. What are your favorite ways to keep the muse engaged through the long dark months?

About JC Hay

JC Hay writes romantic science fiction and space opera, because the coolest gadgets in the world are useless without someone to share them. In addition to Romance Writers of America, he is also a proud member of the SFR Brigade (for Science Fiction Romance), and the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romance chapter of RWA. His newest space opera, His Lowborn Heart, is coming in December from Lyrical Press. JC Hay is on Twitter, Facebook, and sometimes even http://jchay.com.

Communing with your Muse by Billi Wagner

            I consider myself a work at home Mom. Some people might say the lack of an outside job should give an author more time to write, not less, but they don’t live in the same chaotic environment as I do. I’m sure other writer mamas out there can relate. Job or no job, when you have kids your work day never ends. It isn’t easy juggling parenthood and trying to jumpstart a writing career at the same time.

            The online writing community is vast and I take advantage of many of the wonderfully supportive groups and opportunities available to me, but they deal mostly with the business side of things. This blog is about the creative process itself. I have so many stories begging to be written, but things don’t fall into place if my muse isn’t willing.

When I say my muse I mean the source of my inspiration, but I often think in terms of a real person, the way a child would with an imaginary friend. She’s as high maintenance as any of my children, demanding her share of my time just like they do and when she gets ticked off I get a wicked case of writer’s block.

When I’m blocked I do all the usual things to jumpstart my brain. I switch projects so I can go back later with a fresh perspective. I listen to music, watch movies or read books in the genre I’m trying to write. Anything to get that spark back. We’ve all been there. The writing is so much better when it flows on its own, when the words aren’t forced.

I’m most inspired most by thunderstorms. The sound of thunder and pouring rain accompanied by those flashes of lightning make me feel exhilarated like Dr. Frankenstein about to give life to his creation. I sit down at my computer and I don’t stop writing until I’m totally spent. Unfortunately, I can’t whip up a storm every time I get stuck on a plot point.

So what other option is out there for our weary creative souls? I have so many friends who get writer’s block and stop writing altogether. They say they’ll write again and some of them do, but some don’t. I’ve been there myself and had to think outside the box to remedy the problem.  

I left the kids with their dad for the weekend, bought a pizza for the road and rented a hotel room. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it had everything I needed, specifically a wireless internet connection for my laptop. A little undivided attention for my muse and I accomplished more in one night than I had in the entire month before.

I’ve been back a couple times since then when I really needed to reconnect and I’m looking forward to going again soon. Sometimes the best cure is simply a little me time. Find someone to babysit. Take a vacation day from work. Blow off the cooking and the chores. Do what readers do every time they pick up a book and take a small escape from your life. Commune with your muse. I promise you won’t regret it.

 

BIO:  Billi Wagner, formerly Billi Pethtel, wanted to grow up and be a published author since she penned her first short story in second grade. A husband and six kids later, that dream hasn’t changed. Her first romantic mystery/comedy novel ‘Painted Jezebel’ is published under the pen name Jolie Pethtel to keep the genre separate from the paranormal projects she is currently writing under her legal name.