Do You Have a Muse?

[Mark Mann]

Wendy,

I am interested in the ideas you are exploring, and will read your books and blog. It seems like we share some common interests.

I have a blog that I've just started (I'm very new at all this): musingsofmann@wordpress.com.

To answer your question, in my astrology book, I write about how astrological symbolism in our birth charts represents psychological-spiritual potentials that we can develop in our current life time. Astrological symbolism provides us with refined archetypes of possibilities, but we have to choose to develop these consciously if we want to control and create our destinies. Carl Jung is the psychologist that most represents my view of the psyche, though astrologer Dane Rudhyar has been my main influence. Liz Greene is also someone who has been influencial.

In my prose poems, one of my sections deal with astrological insights (Capturing the Essence of the Moment), but other sections deal with other interests I have: the search for and experience of love and intimacy, travel, social-political concerns, holistic-spiritual growth, exploring alternate realities, etc.

I look forward to staying in touch!

[Notre Dame]

WPotocki asked about muses. The way it works with me is that sometimes I am bereft of ideas, and at others I am overflowing with them. Mostly depends on my energy level. Often, the books I enjoyed writing most were when I saw the whole thing in my mind before I started. Imagined the scenery, smelt the mountains, felt the rain on my face, saw the whole thing in glorious technicolour, and each day when I sat down to write it was like turning on a movie projector, taking up where I had left the story the day before, then writing until I was exhausted. And so it went. And yet... on other occasions I have painstakingly constructed books when ideas have seemed scarce, but 20 years up the road, on rereading, the latter seem better and the former seem worse. One of the great mysteries.
http://chrisscottwilson.co.uk

[kennyc]

Yeah, a damn friggin schizo insane one that keeps dragging me through the gutters of poetry, writing, art and music...never able to focus on one for long. Recently been working on doing some article writing only to end up back working on a graphite drawing and some digital painting and then out of the blue comes this: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=958

[WPotocki]

Originally Posted by Notre Dame

WPotocki asked about muses. The way it works with me is that sometimes I am bereft of ideas, and at others I am overflowing with them. Mostly depends on my energy level. Often, the books I enjoyed writing most were when I saw the whole thing in my mind before I started. Imagined the scenery, smelt the mountains, felt the rain on my face, saw the whole thing in glorious technicolour, and each day when I sat down to write it was like turning on a movie projector, taking up where I had left the story the day before, then writing until I was exhausted. And so it went. And yet... on other occasions I have painstakingly constructed books when ideas have seemed scarce, but 20 years up the road, on rereading, the latter seem better and the former seem worse. One of the great mysteries.
http://chrisscottwilson.co.uk

Notre Dame -

It's funny that you said that. The muse is definitely connected with the right side of the brain and that's connected with stream of consciousness prose, writing, whatever. While some people vibe, groove and totally get the flow of that kind of writing, most - or a large part of the universe - is put off by it. Especially when a new or unknown writer takes a whack at leaving the writing in that form and not translating it into a more conventional style. I tried it and got evenly mixed hated/loved reviews for it. My next tries were more conventionally written and my left brain was called forth. The jury is still out on those works, but there's a book I'm currently editing that is back to being stream of consciousness. I'm like, should I leave it like this or ... ? I'm changing it to past tense and a conventional style although I really like the dreamlike state.

The problem is I'm running it by someone that enjoys the right brained writing soooo ? Who knows. You please some, you don't others.

Yeah, a damn friggin schizo insane one that keeps dragging me through the gutters of poetry, writing, art and music...never able to focus on one for long. Recently been working on doing some article writing only to end up back working on a graphite drawing and some digital painting and then out of the blue comes this: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=958

kennyc -

Yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about! My kind of muse. The kind that kicks over convention and leads us to and fro until we are frothing from a dizzying spin! Sort of like that old game of statue where someone would just spin you until you fell over. When you did, you had to try and hold the position even though the world was rushing by and your senses had long since become lost to lush longings of continuing to be twirled - endlessly - in fragrant gardens.

Cool.

And to muses everywhere -

You make things interesting.

[CaraM]

Love the Nora Roberts quote. I can't say I have a muse. I do have characters rattling around in my head pushing to get out. Sometimes I listen to them and at other times I ignore them.

[WPotocki]

Originally Posted by CaraM

Love the Nora Roberts quote. I can't say I have a muse. I do have characters rattling around in my head pushing to get out. Sometimes I listen to them and at other times I ignore them.

CaraM -

Really?

How do you make the decision as to which voices to pay attention to? And are these characters related to a story you're writing? Or are they separate characters that would demand a whole work of fiction written around them?

Usually when my character is speaking and I actually hear a string of dialogue, it means that the story is ready to be written.

Love your Halloween kitty pic. Is that your kitty?