Maybe a first question is … what is a muse?

Well … according to Wikipedia:

The Muses typically are invoked at or near the beginning of an ancient epic poem or classical Greek hymn. They have served as aids to an author of prose, too, sometimes represented as the true speaker, for whom an author is merely a mouthpiece.

When then, does this mean to me?

Well … first, let me say that I love it that the ‘muses’ come from Greek mythology because every single one of my stories has a bent toward or use of …. Greek mythology.

Maybe it’s a passion.

Maybe it’s an interest.

Obsession?

Or maybe the Greeks were just so full of story ideas that to pull from them really makes my muse ‘sing’ … or if my case, ‘talk’.

Now, no … I don’t write poetry, unless the whole ‘roses are red, violets are blue’ poem is considered poetry, which, to my mind … well … it’s not. 🙂 I write novels, sometimes shorts and some non-fiction articles here and there, too.

I always get my inspiration from that little voice in the back of my head.

That little voice that sometimes is so soft I can’t hear him or her … and who at other times screams at me to get writing, to tell the story and to put words to ‘paper’. Sometimes, that voice haunts my days and my nights…. even into my dreams.

When I wrote my first novel, I had the idea and the story just flowed. And then I pushed myself … but the stories didn’t flow and neither did the novels … four in a row, dropped dead flat to be filed in folder ’13’ never to be seen again.

Then the little voice started talking again and I started listening.

And I listen a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th time.

In between there, I tried to make it talk, to force words through and those stories fell flat. I couldn’t get bast oh… say 15k words or maybe 20-25k words. My inner voice … my muse … wasn’t talking to me.

Now, as a budding novelist, I have an inner desire to ALWAYS be writing, to always be editing and to never NOT have an idea.

But I have learned … the hard way … as I learned patience is an acquired skill … that my muse does not like to speak to me unless she is ready.

It’s like having a best friend who loves you on their schedule and no other. If she were a real person, I’d have to kick her out. Instead, I open the door, no matter the outside temperature, and wait for her to walk in.

When she does? I’ll be ready with fingers at keyboard.

How does your must communicate with you? 🙂 Share!