Missing your muse?

Erin Kassikay · Aug 5, 2012

Not sure if muse is the right word for the context, but has anyone had the problem of being unable to write? You're creative, your mind's going a mile a minute, you know what you want to write about, but you can't seem to get the words to form a proper coherent sentence. Ever happen to you?

I found that the reason it's happened to me recently is because A) I'm forcing it when I'm currently unable to call the "word goddess" upon me, and B) I haven't read enough lately to recharge my vocabulary.

Anyone ever have this happen to you and if so, how do you overcome it?

Kerosene · Aug 5, 2012

My muse is my writing. What might help me along is music or daydreams.

If you want to write; then you will write.

As yourself:
Do you like your characters?
Do you like what they do?
Why or why not? How can you fix this?
Is the writing portion the problem? Or the story portion?
Can you improve either/or by brainstorming?

When I have a problem, I listen to some music, take a walk and don't come back until I've fixed the problem.
I stole this from my friend's father. He used to always say: If you a problem, go take a walk until you don't have the problem any more.
So I adopted it. One night, I walked ten miles into downtown Las Vegas, started talking to the homeless people and got inspired. I came home at sunrise and wrote my story.

But I think you just have lost confidence in your writing ability if you can't jump off the starting line.
If so, direct towards this thread: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251503

GiddyUpGo · Aug 5, 2012

I just sit down and write and accept that whatever comes out is probably going to be garbage. Eventually, it will sort itself out and start to sound OK, and then at some point will actually go back to being decent work. I think the key is to just make yourself do it, and eventually the muse will come back.

c.m.n. · Aug 5, 2012

My muse seems to pack up and run away when RL gets too chaotic. But I've found the same things work for me, too. Reading, and relaxing.

I agree with WillSauger. Take a break. Go on a walk. Or some other activity that will take you away from your desk but not make you tense. Relax and take your mind off of the story altogether.

Then, when you come back to sit down, take a breath and don't force it. Think about your story, your characters, your plot, again... just let it flow no matter what.

Most of all, don't get discouraged.

CJacobo · Aug 5, 2012

Hi Erin,

When I start to feel my muse flutter away, I take a step back. Most the time if I look at the section I'm working on as a whole, and ask myself "what am I trying to do here?", she comes back.

Erin Kassikay · Aug 5, 2012

Thanks Will. I did read that other post and I do find a connection with the similar problem. My writing has been discouraged lately (and for good reason to those who I've spoken to). But I haven't lost my muse. I think "muse" wasn't the write word for the context, since I've got all these ideas spinning around in my brain, begging to come out. It's not being able to form coherent sentences.

Lately, when I write, it's as cut and dry as your example--and it's not as easy to repair as your example. I want to repair it but at the same time, I know I'm supposed to write and keep moving (as stated in the other posts), knowing that it's pretty much shit. THEN I go back later and clean it all up. I dread this because it's what I did for ten years for my last book, and I went through 4 rewrites (I think it was 3 or 4, actually--don't remember). When I did that last rewrite, everything came out perfect without effort and I rewrote the ENTIRE thing. I think that's what I was disgruntled about, because I was trying to do that again and couldn't, and was forcing it out.

So what I did lately was take a sabbatical from writing, and pretty much all things internet (I was disgusted with something that happened), and just focused on reading (and stupid me, I didn't pick easy-reading books!). So far I'm picking up the pieces.

I'd still like to hear what other's have done if they have this problem.

KateJJ · Aug 5, 2012

Are you writing the right story? I'm not a big fan of switching horses mid stream, but when the words just don't work, sometimes it's the wrong story. Or the wrong scene. Are you trying to force yourself to write boring bits? That never works for me. I always have to re-plot so the boring bits are as interesting at the rest of it.

Or if I know deep down a story is broken, trying to push on can be futile. Sometimes I have to push on anyway so I can see just where it's broken before I can fix it. Other times I can stop and say "oh, no, look, I'm missing the Fateful Decision" or whatever's lacking and solve the problem in situ.

Erin Kassikay · Aug 5, 2012

Oh, I'm writing the right story. It's plagued me for over a year and I've gone through countless story plots until I figured out the right one. Now granted, I haven't the foggiest how it's going to end but I have an idea. When that time comes, I hope my two MCs will tell me what they want to have happen. If not, then I take a break and contemplate every path available to see which fits better.

But it's the relapsed vocabulary that I'm having a problem with. I want to write, get frustrated and hormonal when I haven't written in a while, become inspired to write, and sit down with no distractions to do so... but then nothing happens. I'm not writer's blocked, since I know what I want to do and where to go and how to begin--I just can't. I can't figure out the right words to make the sentence. I can't even form a sentence--but I know what I want to do. Reading seems to help because I study the craft as I read. I can't read for enjoyment anymore; my mind automatically learns from everything and recharges my brain.

Ashurita · Aug 6, 2012

I get that sometimes, mostly when I approach the middle of the work (which is usually where I get stuck). I find reading sometimes help, or indeed switching stories (although I'd rather stick to one and finish it, so I wouldn't advise this much). Otherwise I just try to push through and figure whatever comes out I'll fix later.

scarletpeaches · Aug 6, 2012

For me, it happens when I sell a book before it's written. Don't get me wrong; I'm incredibly grateful I'm in a position to do that. It's a huge compliment on the part of the editors concerned. But I've come to realise that part of what keeps me going through the mid-book slump is the excitement of "Ooh, I wonder if I can sell this? Who to? I wonder who'll like it?"

If the book's already contracted, it's like, "Oh. Right. Yeah. It's sold." I lose a huge part of my motivation. I mean, apart from 'will get my arse sued if I don't produce'.

A few years ago I'd have killed to be in this position but now I'd kill to get out of it. I'll never sell another book before it's written ever again, if I can help it.

The muse is more likely to appear to me if the final home of the manuscript is unknown. That uncertainty keeps me on edge, and working.

Anninyn · Aug 6, 2012

I need to write regularly and often for the muse to appear.

It then waits. I need to not be distracted. I need to be able to get lost in the wolrd of my imagination. I have a writing playlist that helps with that.

When the muse doesn't show, I can still write, just... I write less, and the stuff that I write is dry.

One thing I discover is that the more often I write, the more reliable the muse is.

scarletpeaches · Aug 6, 2012

So it's not so much a muse as a muscle. Use it or lose it.

Corussa · Aug 6, 2012

GiddyUpGo said:
I just sit down and write and accept that whatever comes out is probably going to be garbage. Eventually, it will sort itself out and start to sound OK, and then at some point will actually go back to being decent work. I think the key is to just make yourself do it, and eventually the muse will come back.

I agree wholeheartedly with this - I often struggle to write, because I know before I start typing that I will almost certainly change whatever I come out with (I wish I could write it really well in the first place - if only!), but I try to remember that the important thing is to get the words down, and improve on them later.

I sometimes get the vocabulary problem, but in that case I just put down the closest word(s) I can think of, and blast onwards, hoping I'll come up with the right terms when I next go through the material.

Create your block of marble first, and then you can start sculpting!

Anninyn · Aug 6, 2012

scarletpeaches said:
So it's not so much a muse as a muscle. Use it or lose it.

Godammn it, woman, how often do you want to be in my signature?

scarletpeaches · Aug 6, 2012

Anninyn said:
Godammn it, woman, how often do you want to be in my signature?

Until it bulges with my roiling ossumsauce and asplodes all over t'interpipe!

Anninyn · Aug 6, 2012

scarletpeaches said:
Until it bulges with my roiling ossumsauce and asplodes all over t'interpipe!

Then the whole internet will be heaving with ScarletPeaches, and we will all drown in her opinionated posts.

Erin Kassikay · Aug 6, 2012

Ashurita said:
I get that sometimes, mostly when I approach the middle of the work (which is usually where I get stuck). I find reading sometimes help, or indeed switching stories (although I'd rather stick to one and finish it, so I wouldn't advise this much). Otherwise I just try to push through and figure whatever comes out I'll fix later.

I used to switch off between stories, to whatever I felt like writing to. I can't do that anymore. In fact, I never should have to begin with. I learn real fast that elapsed time can kill a story because your mind forgets the plot you weaved and then you forget the way you wrote it. I seem to write differently per story, it's weird. I tend to write the way it wants to be written, the way it sounds best.

But yeah, when I reach the middle of a story I tend to write really well. It's like I was already on the waves and now I'm just riding them out. But it's the beginning of the story I'm working on now that's killing me. It seems like it's slow or fast, either or, but not the correct pace. I've skipped working on it and went on to the rest. Now things are running smoothly (for the moment).

Grunkins · Aug 6, 2012

I agree with Scarlet that it's more muscle than muse.

When I am having difficulties writing I just write a sentence. Then I write another. Then another. there might be lots of staring at the screen between sentences, but eventually the log jam will loose and the sentences will begin to flow. It happens every time.

dangerousbill · Aug 6, 2012

My muse, Spike, is at a biker rally somewhere in the Carolinas. I have to bail her out after she threatened a cop with a sharpened baguette.

Cambridge · Aug 6, 2012

I find it helps if you review and tweak what you wrote last session before starting the current writing session. That way, I launch straight in and 'hit the ground running'. Soz about the cliche.

Jamesaritchie · Aug 6, 2012

To paraphrase Mickey Spillane, my muse is my bank account. Nothing stimulates the imagination like realizing you don't have enough in your bank account to cover the bills.

If you do want your muse to help you, she has to know where to find you, and when you'll be there.

But, really, there is no muse. If you want to write, you plant your ass in a chair, and you write. If you don't really want to write, you make excuses and blame the muse.

Erin Kassikay · Aug 6, 2012

When a was a kid and people told me about a "muse", I used to think they were talking about a mouse. I never understood where I could find this "creative mouse" that helped people brainstorm.

readitnweep · Aug 6, 2012

Honestly, I think the whole idea of a muse is worthless. There are good writing days and bad ones, just like anything else. Some days it flows well; others are painful, but I just write. Even writing crap is exercise, and the next day is better.

Flagship · Aug 6, 2012

Speaking of exercise, try short 1-page exercises that are completely unrelated. Try observing an interaction at the local mall and write what you see, then write what you don't see.

Erin Kassikay · Aug 7, 2012

My old writing class in college had us write something to the topic she put on the board and just keep writing until she told us to stop. She said not to worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling--just write. Bothered the hell outta me cause I kept wanting to go back and fix my spelling, add commas or periods, or extend fragments.

Personally, I don't mind the idea of a muse. Some people can be a muse and not even know it. I had a friend like that once. Every time we'd hang out, I kept getting inspired because of how animated her expressions were or how wild her daily activities were. A muse can be useful to those who get writer's block easily and it can also be unnecessary if the writer needs only to look at the clouds to get an idea.

Missing your muse?

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