hey folks, I've been reading "Plot and Structure" by James Scott Bell, and it is a fantastic book (and quite possibly almost necessary) for those writing fiction. Bell discusses outlining, which I do in a mental fashion and quite loosely at that. A friend of mine on here is also working on a large piece, and she outlined with 3x5 cards of different scenes and played with the order of the cards. She came up with a vastly different plot than what she first imagined, and she was quite pleased with her revised plot and structure of her story. Now as for me, I have a muse like she does. But mine keeps me on a short leash--a very short leash. If I did that, (and believe me, I'd love to) I would have "let my muse out." I cannot ever discuss specifics about my story with anyone..or it will not get written. I cannot write something about it in a detailed fashion or it's gone. Why? Because I expressed the story in some form or fashion. For me, the fastest way to kill a story or an article is simply to talk about it as an article, or story (discussing concepts is something else.) Talking about it is simple story execution: one bullet, back of the head. Is anyone else like this?
Totally, always, and it's meant my lack of self-control has stopped me writing anything much beyond 10,000 words. It does seem to have become less severe as I've aged and developed as a writer, though; it used to be that I could rarely write more than 1,000 words before sort of collapsing and dying on the floor with my creativity drained. Looking back, I'm wondering if that was because, on a subconscious level, I didn't quite believe in the strength of my writing, despite what others - yes! even experts! - might say. I think as I've improved a lot of that creative angst has drained away. But take hope! The angst is the same thing that drives you, if you're like me, to develop your writing skills. It's likely said angst will never entirely go away, but I'm certain that it will eventually be so minuscule, so ineffectual, that I'm able to write articles, stories short and long, poetry to a grand scale.
I'm not sure I have a muse yet. Sure I have very brief periods but they don't last more than five minutes.
Ah, definitely! It's so wondrous and magical before it's been birthed, crackling with energy and potentiality. When it's dragged kicking and screaming into time-space, it begins to whither almost immediately. I never create a physical outline, just spit it out as fast as I can so its heart's still beating by the time it's fully born.
I think that's what I do. I have a spark of interest but instead of writing it down, I want to examine the plot, the characters, see if it all makes sense and...the thing withers away. :/ I'm just to orderly sometimes. EDIT: It's in my head, still. I just have to get the spark going again and I don't really know how to. Knowing my luck, if I get that spark going, it'll be right where I can't get to my laptop.
My muse is my best friend and also my worst enemy. We spend plenty of time arguing who is the smarter of the two and who is more important. My argument is that the muse would not of existed without me, while the muse keeps telling me that existence meant nothing until the muse itself came around. One day unexpectedly 'The Fluse' showed up. The fluse is like the muse, only it's there to act as a mediator and keeps our ego's in check. He reminds us there are more important and noble things to pursue than our petty arguing. Although the fluse now is saying his the most important. So much, the fluse is now making final decisions on the novel. In a last ditch attpemt to rescue the novel, I've approached the muse and we are now going to find away to make sure the fluse does not boss us around. Surely the muse will come up with something. Although nothing has happened as of yet and now I do not trust the wily muse.
An unusual dilemma, that. I tend to have the reverse problem. My muse visits me at the worst of times. Out and about, in the car, in the middle of a conversation with someone. Rarely does he (yes he) sit himself down next to me as I focus with intent on the computer screen, fingers at the ready. If I don't write things down, life gets in my way and they are lost forever. Worse, I know there are things I have forgotten. Secular epiphanies of plot and characterization that never made it to a notepad leave their shadows to haunt me.
That is EXACTLY how I feel, Wreybies. EXACTLY! My muse loves to visit me when I absolutely cannot get to a computer, or if I am in a computer, I don't have a thumbdrive with me. He is my bitter enemy as well.
Wow, well put. I used to be like that, but the pattern only ever seemed to inhibit me in retrospect. Of course the grand outline in my head is inevitably better than the one on my laptop, but that doesn't stop me from jotting down ideas & the like. I think some people don't feel like they can easily revise what they write - that there is some form of irreversable imperfection imbued within the written word. By manifesting thought in writing, thought is corrupted, or at least inevitably poorly caricaturized when compared to our authorial omniscience. But when it comes down to it, I know what i know, what i intend to mean, & that i can always go back & revise endlessly without restraint or deadline. This is a mentality i've had to condition myself to personally, it wasn't natural originally. My outline on paper will never be as good as in my head, but that doesn't mean i can't try to translate it from the metaphysical to the profane - flaws, caricaturizations & all. And i above all don't avoid hashing out ideas for sake of preserving their ethereal virginity. That & i tend to have bursts of creativity when i'm taking the time to write stuff down. So, whatever works for you i guess. I'd just try to be sure you're not dampening your creativity with a self-imposed restraint. Goes for anyone. In summary, my muse is my b*tch. interestin OP
What´s the things that usually inspire you to write? For me it´s instrumental piano songs, mostly from Final Fantasy. I can´t write, or better yet, I can´t focus on anything without being listening to music. Music just pumps up my emotions And you?
Mine's usually anime. America could learn something from the Japanese animators. I like the drama-action kind of stuff. They have that Scrubs-esque quality that seems to flash between the funny and serious in a heartbeat. The stories are very complex, too. Music helps too. When I'm brainstorming I enjoy some nonsensical Fall Out Boy. When the scene is soft, I like instrumentals like Vitamin String Quartet or Yiruma. Lyrics distract me if they have meaning. The exception is epic scenes, which I pair with a good ole' "Bohemian Rhapsody".
i don't have a 'muse'... just a drive to write... inspiration for what i write comes from anything and everything... as i'm a practicing philosopher, i keep up with what goes on in the world by checking the news on cnn and other venues many times a day... keep the tv on constantly, when something big is breaking... in addition, my own long, rich lifetime experience, plus what i see, hear, read, remember, or imagine is all grist for my writing mill...
Music helps me a lot, but it's usually books that do the trick. Whenever I finish a book, my writer's block goes poof!
My muse is sweet, milky tea and some nice classical music (Mozart) or opera (Callas). There's something deeper, too, like MammaMaia said, a drive to write. I need to express myself.
For me its the story itself. I live stories with my every breath, there always in my head. And I'm a intense person with loads of overflow feelings that I need to put into good use. But a cup of lapsang tea always helps. And my friends are my muses, having friends who share your love of stories and talk about it means a world.
I've drawn inspiration from music, the bible, history, philosophy...hard to pin down something for sure. I do love to figure ways to craft stories around wise quotes or twisting common knowledge to a new perspective.
I have to chime in with what many others have said: reading a book or listening to music that's inspirational. Also, taking a walk or otherwise becoming physically active tends to get the brain going.
My muse is dreams. I also write because of my characters. I create such strong characters that they drive the story and give the story a direction.
My muse thrives on rest, music, meditation, conversations, and sometimes also on shamelessly letting my catty side out to play when watching a particularly bad movie or TV series (in my opinion, of course). Finding the right words to deliver a scalding critique can jumpstart my brain into creativity.
My muses: music, postsecret, found magazine (google it,) the webcomic A Softer World All of those can get me in the mood to write. I go to them when I feel like I NEED to get motivated. Even pictures of people I know can help. Any artwork or interaction I have an act as a muse, it's just more sporadic.
Music, subtle interplays of light and shadow, psychology, philosophy, poetry, reading certain books (Existentialism is a Humanism is like a mind-stimulant for me. One read-through of it, normally lasting two or three hours, and I'm ready to write. But that method's a little costly on time to use too much, so I normally use sections from Beyond Good and Evil for a lesser, though still potent, effect.), certain substances, and going out and meeting people. Anything, I suppose.
Memories. I'm working on a book which is loosely based on a certain part of my youth. Reliving those days again is what inspires me. I could never say that I wanted to write, period. But have often felt like writing about something.
