Tips on waking up my muse?

[LadyTabitha]

I've noticed a HUGE drop in my desire to write as of late, and even when I do make the attempt....well.....my more recent stories have all been a little less than perfect. My question for all the other authors is: What do you do to slap your muse in the face and wake them up? LOL.

Also too, I'm having difficulty coming up with a premise for my "Angel's Eyes" part 2 story. Any suggestions? Anyone? *looks around desperately for help*

 

[Whispersecret]

I don't usually have trouble coming up with ideas. I have a file box full of them. My muse goes on strike when I have a difficult scene to write. The problem is sometimes physically moving the characters around. Sometimes it's the climax of the entire story and there's so much that must be taken into account that the sheer organization of sweeping everything up into one exciting moment is a challenge.

Because I write my stories sequentially, discovering what's going to happen as I write, skipping ahead doesn't usually work for me. At one time or another switching viewpoints helped. (Usually the character with the highest emotional investment in the scene should be the viewpoint character.) Usually, I just muddle through and force myself to write, even if it's crap that will have to be heavily revised.

That's not much advice, but it's all I got.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I exercise. Really, the flow of blood and the release of all those hormones into my body makes me feel better. Of course, it doesn't always help, but it gets the frustration of staring at the same paragraph for the hours out.

Usually, though, my MO is to drop whatever I'm writing and start something new. I keep the old story open and force myself to write through it. It's usually pretty crappy writing, but that can be fixed during go through number two.

 

[Debbie]

Sometimes i find that it's not muse that has the problem but me! If Im tired, distracted or stressed I find I can't write erotica or essays so I write poetry expressing, venting what is going on with me emotionally.

I am like whispersecret, I have lots of story ideas written down waiting to be completed. Occassionally I find that if I am stuck on a story, i go away, do something else and return when I feel better. I can be driven to distraction by some stories and I cannot stop writing, even when it is very late. if I try to sleep before it's finished I wake frequently with the scenario begging to be finished.

At the moment I am not writing, haven't written for a week which isn't like me but I have serious stress, not sleeping well blah blah going on and have 'blocked' out the need to write. I need to put all my energies into finding the solution to the problem. I write so much better when things are going well...

good luck!

 

[Natalie Nessus]

 

[LadyTabitha]

I agree with the "Rent-a-Muse" idea. LOL No, but I never really thought about keeping a box of ideas lying around. That might help a lot. I'll give that a try.

I have another question, and this is REALLY going to announce me as a "virgin" on here (kind of like a big red neon sign). How do you guys do the cute little pics and the neat quotes beneath your names when you post? I'm labelled on there as "Virgin", and although I am new to the boards, I don't want so much to broadcast it to the world! It'd be bad on my reputation

 

[Debbie]

when you get to 100 posts you can get a 'pretty pic' (avatar) They're really cool I think!

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I pick something to write that is of no consequence, that doesn't require plotting or research. A three line e-mail to a friend. A shopping list. A Literotica post, even. I just keep the muscles working, and eventually the mind joins in.

 

[Bluetrain]

I follow poet Geoff Hewitt's idea of keeping a notebook in which I write down everything that interests me: jokes, snippets of conversations, ideas, quotes, observations, insults, picture descriptions, character sketches, etc...

I also force myself to write for at least one 20 minute session, sometimes more, every day. I might end up producing a few pages; i might end up producing a sentence or a word. Either way, I've exercised my writing and metacognitive muscles.

Also, when i write a short piece or a poem, I won't go back to it for several weeks. Only then will I return and see what I've written and most of the time I'll revise it in ways I never would have thought of had I revised it when i wrote it.

of course, with a 4 month old controlling me, that disciplined schedule occurs more by chance now than by habit...

 

[Mickie]

A writer once told me (when I mentioned this same difficulty) to start with a fun word, then keep adding words to it until I have a sentence. Then, add another word and turn that into the second sentence, and so on. It works for me, anyway.

Sometimes I need to close my eyes and get the scene in front of me.

Sometimes music can help make the emotion of the scene clear.

Sometimes I just have to stand up and walk out of the house for a good long walk and a think. (I live near a river, and the rolling water is usually a pretty good inspiration.)

Above all, remove distractions around the place you write. Never, but NEVER, put your desk near the main door of your home! (Mine currently sits right there, and it's been driving me nuts for a month. I'm moving it next week into another room.) Turn off the phone. Tape your spouse's mouth shut and tell them its a new sex game if you must. Thought requires an inner peace, so even meditation helps if you're familiar with that kind of thing.

Last, if you decide to call your talent a Muse, then give it a name and talk to it. Discuss the story with it. Might as well use your creativity to help out, right?

Hope this helps...
Mickie

 

[MindBoggler]

finding your muse

As far as story ideas are concerned, coming as I am from the realm of journalism, I usually have the topic crammed down my throat and my only real problem is the hook...that opening paragraph which will grab the readers attention and ward off the blue pencils of the editors back in their ivory towers.

I don't know why your request attracted me, but I must say before writing this, I took the time to read as many pieces of your work as I could find. You do have a talent that should be nurtured and further developed. (Even Wil Shakespeare had horizons to conquer at the time of his death.)

In my case, since a three part novel is on my plate at the moment, I have sequestered myself away in a domed structure overlooking California's North Pacific Coast... I am alone with only a dog and literotica.com to distract me and literally ration out time for meals, running, lifting a few weights and indulging myself here. The rest of my time I am either at my desk staring at this screen, or catching 4-6 hours sleep. But then I've been doing this for a long, long time. My suggestion to you would be to set aside a period of time with absolutely no distractions and whether your mind moves or not...sit in front of your computer putting down everything your mind grasps in a stream of consciousness. Then edit it later.

In the case of a lot of interaction...I've only had a couple experiences, screenplays which I found easier to write by bouncing situations, dialogue and circumstances off a partner. Literally acting it out. The Cohen Brothers do that. In my case, since it involved rewrites of about 40% of the dialogue and scenarios in a very well known Viet Nam movie, things got a little rough, with my partner and I tossing each other all over the office.
I wouldn't recommend that degree of dedication at this point in what could well be a very promising career.
Good luck...contact me if you'd like any explanations our expansions....and I'll look forward to your next piece.

MindBoggler...Jon

 

[Whispersecret]

Another thing that has been working for me for the past month. I've been rising early, between 5 and 6 a.m. I find that the incredible calm of the pre-dawn hours and some good coffee helps me do my best writing. Plus, if I've been wrestling with a sticky part the night before, sometimes I find that my subconscious worked on it over night and when I hit the computer in the morning, the words just flow.

 

[LadyTabitha]

Thank you, thank you, thank you all! Just from this simple thread, I've actually got enough ideas to jumpstart my Muse to life again! I appreciate you all taking the time to help me out! Hopefully I'll have some new stuff posted soon (that is, if I can pull myself free of these addicting bulletin boards! this is fun!)

Thanks again, guys. Your words and wisdom are much appreciated! (And thank you, Jon, for saying I have talent! I do hope to develop my writing greatly through trial and error, and taking a few writing courses here and there!)

 

[PolarJuice]

its tough when the dry spell hits you .... I carry a notebook in my pocket and jot down ideas when they hit .... funny things happen with that to... I just started this one story and was jotting down some ideas in point form ... I left my notebook by my lunch kit and the boss walked by seeing that list mis-took it for something else and got worried... I ended up with a raise on my next paycheck without asking ... so you never know what may come of your ideas you jot down.... I still laugh when I think of it....

My other hint for jumpstarting or enticing your Muse back is to go to a live chat and explore in character to see what may come about..... love those chances to explore the options of sex, size, race etc.... go for it .. just don't stop and be idle.. things may fester and fall off. "Use it or lose it" .....


Polar.

 

[JUDO]

What if?

There's a really powerful way to grab the Muse and get going when you get stuck, use the magic words "What if?"

Whatever you are having difficlty with, ask yourself:

What if this was happening to me right now? What would I do?

What if this was happening with Insert Someone You Know here right now? How would they handle it?

It's a little like getting "outside the box" and looking at the situation from a new perspective.

Other than that exercise, I take a shower or drive somewhere. Doing something that blanks out my mind and poof! the inspiration comes. If you drive, be careful, it's sometimes dangerous to pull over in traffic on the freeway and write something down Yeah, I've never done that. Oh, hi officer...no, no everything's fine...ha, just taking some notes! Oh boy...

Don't worry, I call my machine at home now-a-days.


- Judo

 

[teniellejd]

Hard to say if you've really run dry (no pun). Keep reading stories, maybe look at things you haven't read before.