My muse just dropped in to say hello, and I mean that literally! I was sitting at my desk getting ready to write, but as sometimes happens (at least to me) I was dawdling on Pinterest, a favorite activity that sometimes yields productive ideas. Not today, however. Instead, I was lost on a board reading a recipe for double chocolate hazelnut cookies. Sigh…

It’s a windy day here, after summer storms last night, and the window next to my desk is open so I feel the breeze. Atmospheric since I am about to edit a scene which takes place aboard a ship. My muse, at least the representation of creative me, usually sits on the side of my computer, but since I rearranged my desk a few weeks ago, I moved her to the top shelf for a bit more room and organization. I found her at one of my favorite places, Junk Bonanza, but that’s another post entirely. 🙂 One gust of wind later she fell from her perch and landed with a thump right in front of me. If she wanted my attention, she certainly got it!

As my heart rate returned to normal, I read the words printed on the canvas: imagine; a creative mind is rarely tidy; listen to your inner whispers; create; be open and alert. Immediately I opened my blog and started to write this post. Sometimes, I guess, it takes a lot more than self-discipline to get me going! It takes a nudge from the unknown.

Now I’m back editing my manuscript (Love that word!). I have a schedule to keep which includes sending queries to several agents before the end of July and also sending my edited manuscript to a friend’s book club for review. I have to thank my muse and her creator, Lauri Jeanne, in addition to the my own Creator for reminding me I should put my buttocks in the chair and write!

Since my “muse” literally fell in my lap to remind me what I should be doing with my time, I’ve decided to call her Faith, after the heroine of my first book and because every time I begin the creative process I begin with faith that the words will come, no matter how bad they are to begin with. Each word I write is better than the blank page, and each time I revise the story, I hone not only my skill as a writer but also the words on the page to more closely say what I mean. And that’s what I’m going to do right now.

See you when I’m finished for the day!

“This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. The Muse takes note of our dedication. She approves. We have earned favor in her sight. When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come. Insights accrete.”
― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles