I find that with every book my muse changes. Whether it be a song or a person. Currently, my muse is two songs: Eyes open by Taylor Swift and Both of us by B.O.B ft. Taylor Swift. Both songs have such powerful lyrics and the actual music itself is fantastic. Musics has always set the mood and tone for my novels. As well, I like to give my characters a theme song in a way. What is your current muse? Or, what are your muses?
Beautiful songs, I'm curious about what type of writing you've been doing...? v u v Hmm, lately my big inspiration has been from anime shows. I love a good anime with griping characters and art. They've sort of replaced book for me this past year (sadly D. I'm also a deviantartist so I get lots of inspiration from browsing all sorts of gorgeous artwork, especially conceptual stuff. I don't really have any particular song inspiring me right now, but music is huge for inspiration to me. A random song I might hear on the radio could end up giving me a new idea for something in one of my stories. I like this because it keeps my ideas flowing and fresh.
Deviantart is very addictive. Once you start looking hours have been wasted away. I am writing a dytopian YA based in 2065. What type of deviantart are you drawn to most?
Interesting, and with songs like those holding inspiration even more so. o u o Oh yes indeed, I might get on thinking to check one thing and end up browsing for hours. Mostly I stick to digital work, anime-style to fantasy-painterly, but I'm also very fond of inkwork. A few of my friends post writing or photography so I keep an eye on that too. http://borderline-lala-land.deviantart.com/ http://levidansam.deviantart.com/ These people are pretty interesting and unique I think, not a good example of what I usually look at, but they're very inspiring to me. And how about you?
Let me in by Borderline lala land is amazing. Somedays I wish that would happen to me. lol And well, LeviDansam, I cannot chose. I always find visual art so much more stimulating and enjoyable by all. The colours and images are both powerful and beautiful. I can definitely see why you find them inspiring.
For me, it's usually anime or video games. Even when I listen to music, I imagine a scene that is very much influenced by action in a video game or in an anime. My most recent work has been influenced by Gundam, Chromehounds, and similar mech-based fiction, for example.
In my experience muses are nonexistent. I don't stare at anime/deviantart or spend hours looping a song just to get inspiration. Either I'm just casually watching anime when suddenly a bolt of lightning strikes me or I'm doing something (eating, sleeping, talking, walking, reading, surfing the net, playing a video game) when suddenly the bolt appears.
I don't have an external muse - my muse just takes over my thoughts and does my work for me. Trouble with my muse is - it only appears when it thinks fit. I cannot turn it on/off, like a light bulb.
Hi, I'm having a little trouble here. I can get into my writing although it takes me a little while to get into it, sort of like warming myself up to get into that creative frame of mind and then I can write all day and all night if I have to. But, since life does happen the thing is When life happens, I'm not talking bad things here, I mean just every day interruptions, things that call for my attention and interrupt me, or even for example if i set a writing schedule it will take part of my writing time to "warm up" so to speak, then at the end of the session its hard to turn it off. I mean the creative frame of mind. Its hard to get serious again. Then when I do, its hard to get back into the story. Can anyone tell me how to better manage the muse so I can make better use of my time? Donna
I used to have weeks before a deadline and I would pick a topic, usually spiritual in nature, and let it spin around and saturate my soul. Then, in a giant gestalt it would spill out onto a page and it would all be over inside an hour. It was a strange way to get things done, no doubt, but it worked. When it didn't come through me in that manner my writing was on the bland side. As I've gotten older the ups and downs have leveled off, partly because of the sheer amount of words written since my earlier days. For me, the more I write the easier it is to get back in to the flow. Maybe because I get immersed in my stories and part of me lives there even when I'm busy with other things. When I get back to writing, that part of me is still there ready to go. You mentioned it is hard to turn off your creativity. I don't see the need to turn off the creative process completely. I let it be part of me. I need it to be ready when I am. What I'm trying to say is if you try to shove one of the most inspirational parts of yourself in the closet, don't be surprised if they are pissed and noncooperative when you open the door again.
About turning your muse on: while you're, say, walking home from school/work or grocery shopping, listen to music you listen to while writing that story, think about the story, the characters (could be something as mundane as "what would my character buy if s/he was here grocery shopping with me?"), you know, anything that puts you in touch with the "spirit" of the story. Surround your writing space with things that inspire the specific mindset you need to write comfortably (e.g. me and KaTrian always draw our protagonists and place the drawings above our computer screen). Little things like that can make a big difference.
Most people here, should know the term Muse. Many may have their own... I have found that many of the great artists; be it musicians, painters, and of course writers swear by the concept. Even know the names of their Muse. If not the name, they definitely could describe them. I would like to enquirer, if any of you have connected with one? I know it is an abstract concept to some. Yet, if you take a side glance at your own work, you may just see it. "Just humor me, if you will." Please, I implore you all to think about it! (I have a great deal to discuss, if this thread works out.)
My muse left me...and still hasn't returned. I think she grew horse shouting at me, trying to get my attentions and finally gave me up as a bad joke. I miss her and wish she'd come back. She never told me her name, but I know she's female because I hear her whispering in my ear.
I don't believe in them, personally. Most writers I know tend to use their "muse" as a scapegoat for not doing anything...
True, but I have seen them used as motivational tools as well. One that comes to mind is, how Stephen King talks about his muse in his book, On Writing. He says something along the lines of how he had a male muse that smokes cigars, and it isn't a big talker. Yet, when it decided to start whispering to him, BAM! It's like nothing else. So he makes it his job to be sitting at his writing desk at the same time everyday, so if it feels like showing up and dropping of a little bag of magic, it know exactly when and where to find him. I myself, like this idea.
I don't really believe in the muse either, but I'm completely willing to play along. If I had a muse, she'd be: - a female - a teenage girl - playful, frivolous - encouraging me to put down my pen more often, recommending to me that I remember to take breaks, and she REALLY wants me to draw more - just as quick to scold me if I slack off too much, though there'd be less scolding lately, and now reprimands me for not going out for walks like I used to I would ignore her advice, though, quite often, because I'm tired of getting nothing done, and I have no one to blame but myself for not working much. I'd never blame my muse; I'm just a naturally lazy person is all.
I don't believe in the muse. However, I sometimes find myself writing to, and for, my younger self - me as a boy of ten or twelve. That's kind of when I was forming who I am, and maybe I'm still trying to influence that process, in a way. Writing as a form of time travel.
I used to depend on a muse, but she retired. Now, I buy my ideas at the local music store. They were selling just song ideas, but times are lean and they over-invested in ballad ideas and nearly went under, so they've added a line of story ideas—mostly romance, but they have a nice assortment of sci-fi and gritty male adventure plots available in the 95,000 to 125,000 word range.
I like the idea of the muse, largely because for me, it removes the excuse to write only when I'm inspired. If I want to attract a muse/my muse, I need to demonstrate that I'm a worthwhile candidate, by regularly sitting down and writing. Why would a muse waste time with me if I don't make that regular offering?
I am loving the mixed responses here. There are some damned good points on both sides! I definitely want to see more thoughts on the matter.
I'm not sure people understand what a muse is/should be. It seems like they are missing the point. It's not a ghost, or a deity that you "believe" in, or some abstract concept that the artist switch responsibility to, thus gaining excuses not to work... 1. Classical Muse is the embodiment of artistic knowledge, the knowledge itself, the idea of artistic tradition. Invoking the Muse in writing is thus akin to getting immersed in the literary tradition. The reason most contemporary art (including the belles-lettres) SUCKS is the authors complete ignorance, or even ridicule, of what tradition they create in and from. 2. Romantic muse is a woman. The Godess herself. Why? Because the Woman, the sex which gives life (the Mary which gave birth to Christ, etc) is the embodiment of creative energies. You want to create something? You are a man - Men create only if the Woman allows them to. Inspires them. Gives them strength (and knowledge) to produce. The reason so many poets are promiscuous and so many novelists are monogamous If this all sound like mambo-jumbo to you, you either: a) have no idea what poetry is, b) should read just a bit more, c) should have sex and/or become religious, d) should block me and/or report me for making fun of your materialistic, one-dimensional line of thinking
Those may be your definitions, but it's not how writers typically use the term - which is more in line with the dictionary's definition as "a source of inspiration". Which would mean I've got a whole world of muses running around - far too many to keep track of. I prefer to give myself the credit and responsibility for whatever I create. The ego must be fed, ya know...
I admit it. I don't know my poetry at all. I also haven't been reading much lately because I'm too busy trying to actually use my energy writing to read, and I don't like overflooding myself with ideas because I just shut down trying to decide which ideas I should use. So yeah, I'm about as bright as a brick when it comes to poetry.
