Why you must be at your desk when the Muse arrives

kennyc · 09-25-2013, 10:12 PM

I think inspiration often results in the best work. I wrote a new essay this morning in basically the time it took to type it. Only minor corrections and posted on my blog. There are those that say the writer is only a conduit sometimes I believe it whether the source is the unconscious, the muse, or something else and I've said recently that Writing is a drug, embrace it. I felt the flow this morning. I love it when that happens. It has happened quite a bit for my poetry but only rarely with my prose.

{Link removed at request of moderators}

gmw · 09-26-2013, 03:57 AM

I've had a few ideas that disappeared because I didn't get to the computer or a notebook in time to write them down. I like to believe that these are ideas that wouldn't have gone far anyway. My justification for that is that most of my inspirations that develop into something are things that stick even if I try to ignore them. (And I hold on tightly to that justification to avoid the regret over a lost inspiration

.)

kennyc · 09-26-2013, 07:36 AM

Well I don't believe in waiting around for inspiration, but when it happens it is wonderful there is nothing like it when you get into 'the flow' - that is the drug. But the other part, and most of the time it's just putting one foot in front of the other to keep moving.

crich70 · 09-26-2013, 10:45 AM

Your post reminded me of a quote Kennyc and while I was looking for the 1st one I found another good one to do with writing by the same author.

"I'll never forget this idea," is the Devil's whisper. Keep everything that matters in your notebook.
~Richard Bach

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.
~Richard Bach

kennyc · 09-26-2013, 11:04 AM

Yep. I carry a pocket notebook in my rear pocket but could/should/maybe probably start using my audio recorder on my phone... paper just seems so much more tangible though.

That small notebook is where many of my ideas start, I transfer them to my journal and sometimes expand them before going (or not....many ideas just sit there) to the computer.

crich70 · 09-26-2013, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep. I carry a pocket notebook in my rear pocket but could/should/maybe probably start using my audio recorder on my phone... paper just seems so much more tangible though.

That small notebook is where many of my ideas start, I transfer them to my journal and sometimes expand them before going (or not....many ideas just sit there) to the computer.

I think it's part of the psychology of writing. An idea just seems more real if it's written down.

Rizla · 09-26-2013, 02:10 PM

Use a smart-phone or a tablet or an e-reader with note-taking capability, and that idea can immediately become a thousand words, and you don't have to type it all in afterwards...

Of course, the spelling is atrocious.

Marseille · 09-26-2013, 02:53 PM

I loved my Touch Pro2's keyboard. 5 lines, offset keys, great feedback tilted for comfort, and no learning curve. I'd forget my head in the morning if it weren't screwed on, so I don't even try to remember. That keyboard saved tons of stuff for me, far more conveniently than anything I've ever used. And not just snippets or cues, full text, often while walking full pace in a nearby park. I can't do that with paper. I miss that qwerty like crazy.

The bluetooth thumb qwerty market is worthless, utter crap. I spent months pouring through hundreds of models before I gave up looking. I'm trying to get used to onscreen keyboards, but I'm not a fan. I use swiftkey and it's better than anything else I've used, and the voice recog is surprisingly handy, but I wouldn't use it in public. I may start carrying paper again too, reluctantly.

Some of my favorite ideas pop up when there's no desk, because there's no desk.

Anna Drake · 09-26-2013, 06:26 PM

You are so right, KC. Inspiration is wonderful when it strikes. But being at one's desk is not to be discounted.

kennyc · 09-26-2013, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Drake

You are so right, KC. Inspiration is wonderful when it strikes. But being at one's desk is not to be discounted.

Oh I agree completely! That's exactly what I meant by the subject title.
It's more important in fact, see my other posts above
or in other threads or ....

I believe in doing the work. War of Art!
it just the way it is.

crich70 · 09-26-2013, 06:47 PM

And writing is work. Anyone who says that there isn't work involved in coming up with a work of fiction has probably never tried to create one.

Raduz · 09-29-2013, 03:17 PM

I don't remember which well known writer said something like this: "I absolutely believe that a writer should write only when kissed by a Muse. I have an agreement with mine - she kisses me every morning at 9:00 sharp."

kennyc · 09-29-2013, 03:29 PM

This is the one I've heard:

"Someone once asked Somerset Maughham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. "I write only when inspiration strikes," he replied. "Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp."

“Don't wait for the muse. As I've said, he's a hardheaded guy who's not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn't the Ouija board or the spirit-world we're talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you're going to be every day from nine 'til noon. or seven 'til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he'll start showing up.”
― Stephen King, On Writing

xxxxxx · 11-09-2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep. I carry a pocket notebook in my rear pocket but could/should/maybe probably start using my audio recorder on my phone... paper just seems so much more tangible though.

That small notebook is where many of my ideas start, I transfer them to my journal and sometimes expand them before going (or not....many ideas just sit there) to the computer.

good idea - audio

can you imagine that, you walk...busy street.... you have thoughts.....switch on your audio.... and start talk with yourself....

crich70 · 11-09-2013, 10:06 AM

I can't remember if it was Somerset Maughham or Sinclair Lewis, but I remember reading about a would be author who studied under one or the other and when they showed their work to the author they were advised to cut the 1st 74 pages or so. When they protested that they had to set the scene the author said "For 74 pages? If I want a travelogue I'll get National Geographic, not a novel." His point was to get to telling the story asap. Story was action.

09-25-2013, 10:12 PM	#1
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Why you must be at your desk when the Muse arrives I think inspiration often results in the best work. I wrote a new essay this morning in basically the time it took to type it. Only minor corrections and posted on my blog. There are those that say the writer is only a conduit sometimes I believe it whether the source is the unconscious, the muse, or something else and I've said recently that Writing is a drug, embrace it. I felt the flow this morning. I love it when that happens. It has happened quite a bit for my poetry but only rarely with my prose. {Link removed at request of moderators} Last edited by kennyc; 09-26-2013 at 09:24 AM.

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09-26-2013, 03:57 AM	#2
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I've had a few ideas that disappeared because I didn't get to the computer or a notebook in time to write them down. I like to believe that these are ideas that wouldn't have gone far anyway. My justification for that is that most of my inspirations that develop into something are things that stick even if I try to ignore them. (And I hold on tightly to that justification to avoid the regret over a lost inspiration .)

09-26-2013, 07:36 AM	#3
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Well I don't believe in waiting around for inspiration, but when it happens it is wonderful there is nothing like it when you get into 'the flow' - that is the drug. But the other part, and most of the time it's just putting one foot in front of the other to keep moving.

09-26-2013, 10:45 AM	#4
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,306 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Your post reminded me of a quote Kennyc and while I was looking for the 1st one I found another good one to do with writing by the same author. "I'll never forget this idea," is the Devil's whisper. Keep everything that matters in your notebook. ~Richard Bach A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit. ~Richard Bach

09-26-2013, 11:04 AM	#5
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Yep. I carry a pocket notebook in my rear pocket but could/should/maybe probably start using my audio recorder on my phone... paper just seems so much more tangible though. That small notebook is where many of my ideas start, I transfer them to my journal and sometimes expand them before going (or not....many ideas just sit there) to the computer.

09-26-2013, 02:10 PM	#7
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	Use a smart-phone or a tablet or an e-reader with note-taking capability, and that idea can immediately become a thousand words, and you don't have to type it all in afterwards... Of course, the spelling is atrocious.

09-26-2013, 02:53 PM	#8
Marseille Guru Posts: 687 Karma: 5700000 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: kindle	I loved my Touch Pro2's keyboard. 5 lines, offset keys, great feedback tilted for comfort, and no learning curve. I'd forget my head in the morning if it weren't screwed on, so I don't even try to remember. That keyboard saved tons of stuff for me, far more conveniently than anything I've ever used. And not just snippets or cues, full text, often while walking full pace in a nearby park. I can't do that with paper. I miss that qwerty like crazy. The bluetooth thumb qwerty market is worthless, utter crap. I spent months pouring through hundreds of models before I gave up looking. I'm trying to get used to onscreen keyboards, but I'm not a fan. I use swiftkey and it's better than anything else I've used, and the voice recog is surprisingly handy, but I wouldn't use it in public. I may start carrying paper again too, reluctantly. Some of my favorite ideas pop up when there's no desk, because there's no desk.

09-26-2013, 06:26 PM	#9
Anna Drake Zealot Posts: 104 Karma: 2175016 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: rural Illinois, USA Device: Kindle	You are so right, KC. Inspiration is wonderful when it strikes. But being at one's desk is not to be discounted.

09-26-2013, 06:47 PM	#11
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,306 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	And writing is work. Anyone who says that there isn't work involved in coming up with a work of fiction has probably never tried to create one.

09-29-2013, 03:17 PM	#12
Raduz Member Posts: 21 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Czech Republic Device: PRS-505, Kobo Glo	I don't remember which well known writer said something like this: "I absolutely believe that a writer should write only when kissed by a Muse. I have an agreement with mine - she kisses me every morning at 9:00 sharp."

09-29-2013, 03:29 PM	#13
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	This is the one I've heard: "Someone once asked Somerset Maughham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. "I write only when inspiration strikes," he replied. "Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp." “Don't wait for the muse. As I've said, he's a hardheaded guy who's not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn't the Ouija board or the spirit-world we're talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you're going to be every day from nine 'til noon. or seven 'til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he'll start showing up.” ― Stephen King, On Writing

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11-09-2013, 10:06 AM	#15
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,306 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I can't remember if it was Somerset Maughham or Sinclair Lewis, but I remember reading about a would be author who studied under one or the other and when they showed their work to the author they were advised to cut the 1st 74 pages or so. When they protested that they had to set the scene the author said "For 74 pages? If I want a travelogue I'll get National Geographic, not a novel." His point was to get to telling the story asap. Story was action.