Enticing the Muse to Visit

Other authors often groan when I confess that I seldom have writer’s block. They probably think that I’m either lying, or that I have some secret channel to the writer’s muse to bless me with inspiration for writing. That’s not true. I cheat. Here are some ways to coax the muse into visiting you.

First, write your story. Write every day, even if what you write is worthless dribble. Just put it down. Most people who want to write never get past the first few pages. Make yourself finish the thing! Give yourself permission to write utter trash. It can always be edited out later and no one ever need know the really bad stuff ever existed.

A couple years ago, I made a goal to write at least 5 pages a day, not matter how bad my writing is. A friend who is published had reminded me to give myself permission to write total bunk without worrying if it was good enough. I didn’t have to show it to my critique partner, or my friend, or my editor. I could always review it later and edit it out and make it presentable before any one else saw it. So, yesterday, as I was in the midst of writing useless rubbish, I discovered something unexpected about my hero which will affect his personality and his motives throughout the entire book.

I do plot a little; I at least know my characters, where the story is going, and what some of the major scenes are going to be (that’s a whole new topic). But while I was writing absolute trash that I knew I would totally edit out later – or if I didn’t, one of my critique partners would – this surprising back story, which will profoundly effect the hero's characterization, popped up.

When the thoughts are flowing and the internal editor is turned off (because I already know it’s really bad writing), something else wakes up. Call it the muse, or inspiration, or what have you, but when you give yourself permission to write badly or to write scenes that are pure back story or scenes that have way too much internal dialogue, surprising and wonderful things can crop up. Like discovering something new and amazing about your hero.

So, lesson one in Donna’s Writing Book of Wisdom is to write. Just write. Sit down at your keyboard, or pick up your pencil or pen if that’s your preference, and write. It might be terrible writing. It might be boring or stupid or cliché. That’s okay. Write. And then don’t go back and read it until after you’ve written several chapters. Decide much later if you want to delete it, or move it. Then sit back and watch what wonderful things appear.

Scared Witless

Maybe every author goes through this. Maybe I'm not the only one freaking out here. But if other authors ever felt the way I do, they've survived it with better grace that I am.

Tomorrow my first novel, The Stranger She Married, will be released in ebook. I'm excited. I'm terrified. I can hardly breathe.

At long last, a dream I've secretly nurtured since 7th grade is coming to fruition. I can't wait to see my name on the cover of a book. I've finally done it. All those critiques by contest judges and critique partners, all the disappointments and frustrations are finally about to be worth it.

And yet, what if no one buys it? And worse, what if no one LIKES it?

I've read some awful books that didn't deserve to be in print. I've read a bunch of mediocre books that I forgot about a few days later. The thought of being placed in one of those categories makes me break out into a cold sweat. But when I read other books by some of my favorite authors, I KNOW I'm not that good and I wonder what made me think I could ever write? And do I really want to make myself that open and vulnerable by publishing what I write? Will people see too much into my soul? Will they think nothing is there?

Oh, what in the world was I thinking?