At the best of times, my muse is
pretty troublesome, many times he throws tantrums and sulks, but this has been
such a letdown. Honestly, it’s at this time I needed him the most. I thought
that while writing the first draft of book one, I would also make rough
outlines of books two and three. But, the muse is at its uncooperative best.
He showed up at regular
intervals for the first half of April. I wrote back stories for all the
characters, made detailed character sketches and was generally happy with what
I had accomplished. I was sure I would complete the first draft on schedule. Things were going pretty well.
But by the third week of April,
my muse disappeared. In the last two
weeks of April, I wrote just a few scenes. It’s got me worried, as I had set a
tentative deadline for the completion of the first draft of the first book for
April end.
Though I wrote many features for
the newspapers, and jotted down notes for more features, I have not worked on
my manuscript much. I am even seriously considering shelving the trilogy for
the moment and working on something else.
Nowadays, every time I switch
on my laptop, the blank sheet frustrates me. I even switched to writing long
hand, but it’s like my brain is in a shutdown mode. And as the days are
passing, my worries are getting the better of me. I have decided I need to do
something about this scenario soon. There are so many other things on my mind clashing
with each other that it is driving me crazy.
I know that I should be patient
and keep writing but somehow worries are getting the better of me.
How do you all tackle an
errant muse? Do you all work on something else, or keep writing in the hope
that the muse revisits? What would you all advice me? Shall I wait for the muse
to come back? Shall I continue writing even though I know that I will delete
all the scenes I write in this phase? How do you all tackle writing slumps?
P.S. The features I am
writing for the newspapers are making my readers super happy. Their fan mail
lightens up my bad mood and it’s the only bright spot in my life at the moment.
As I write at random have not faced a issue like this so far:)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I don't wait for my muse and I power my way through the hump. Not easy times, but my muse always comes back...eventually.
ReplyDeleteI read some amazing advice on this the other day: The cure to impatience is doing something else while you're waiting. I think this can be applied to this case, as well.
ReplyDeleteI start looking for inspiration elsewhere, like in music or movies. Eventually it returns.
ReplyDeleteGlad you have happy fans from your newspaper articles!
Congrats on the newspaper articles!
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's the outlining that's getting you down. My muse went away when I tried it. So I just planned the major plot points and started writing. Try that or read more and watch movies for inspiration. Breaks can be good sometimes.
Actually, when I'm in your place, I don't do anything writing-related. The closest I come is reading someone else's work.
ReplyDeleteDo you have another artistic activity you like? Go do it. Your brain is actually asking to rest.
That's what I think, anyway. :-)
First, thanks for coming by my blog and leaving a comment. So nice to "meet" you.
ReplyDeleteI've been here, where you are, before and can relate. Have you tried music? Sometimes listening to music can spark a scene, or a feeling, or a dialog I hadn't thought of before. I know you won't lose hope in yourself and your abilities because you are still writing and getting great feedback on that writing. I hope you won't lose faith in your muse. Sometimes she gets tired too! Music has often saved me from throwing it all away, and, when that scene or feeling or dialog comes, your muse will kick right into hyper drive, so look out and be careful what you ask for!! Good luck Rachna!
That sounds awful...what can I do to help? Let me know Rachna:) I'm sure we can lure your muse back ASAP! :)
ReplyDeleteWhich paper are you writing for Rachna? Do send me the link.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I have to just wait around for inspiration. Be patient, it'll come back.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
I tend to try working on something unrelated to writing for a while. Even if it's menial like cleaning, it can help with recharging.
ReplyDeleteWow! Didn't know you write in papers... Great work dear.. Keep going :-)
ReplyDeleteI write something. If I waited for my muse, I'd never write anything. She's totally unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteI've spent the better part of two months doodling, freewriting, clustering, visualizing, writing letters from my characters, and taking deep breaths. And just yesterday some of the missing pieces in my WIP seemed to fall into place! So please don't get discouraged. There are stories in you just waiting to come out. You just have to find what works for you...
ReplyDeleteI look for inspiration in movies or books. Music also helps me sometimes. Amazingly enough, there is one thing that never fails to catch my muse. The treadmill.
ReplyDeleteI've been going through this for quite a while now. I have no answer.
ReplyDeleteI think most people experience this,but I don't think anyone has a guaranteed answer to it. Mostly a matter for waiting for the feeling to pass, I think.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
Hi friends..thanks for your advice. I am listening to each and every one of you and am trying to read, listen to music and catch up with other things. This weekend I will try and not stress about my trilogy. I am sure that this separation from my muse is temporary and he will be back in action soon :)
ReplyDeleteWhen that happens I switch to another project and let the first one rest for a while, or I read a lot. Sometimes, inspiring books help me to find an answer. While I read those books, my mind plays with the idea of the project I am stuck with. It is a very enigmatic process, but it works.
ReplyDeleteIt's tough when the muse takes a vacation. She'll be back, though!
ReplyDeleteI am sure your muse will return. You are a writer, after all, and it is never far away. It simply cannot be. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your muse either needs a break or something isn't working in the trilogy, and your muse is trying to tell you that. Take a deep breath. It'll come back. :)
ReplyDeleteI found fly paper and Lucky Charms works wonders for getting your muse to come back and stay.
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic about the fan mail. that also brightens my day.
ReplyDeleteYour muse will come back to you.
Oh Rachna, I know just what you mean! I've been dealing with the same problem. I find that taking babe steps helps. Giving myself a small goal for each day moves me through that problem phase. For example, I might tell myself that I'm not going to write a whole chapter or even a page. I'm just going to write paragraph. That way, when I do write that paragraph I feel like I accomplished something, and then inevitably the next paragraph is in my mind and it goes on until I naturally stop.
ReplyDeleteJai