Dear Muse,

I started the original draft of this letter while I was quite frustrated. As you know, it is National Novel Writing Month and I have been drawing creativity from every source I can get my hands on to finish this book in time. But now - while I need you most - you seem to be constantly hiding, finding excuses and just generally proving to be unhelpful.

I finished a long letter - read RANT - about why you should be around, how disappointed I am, and how I was going to chain you up once you finally got back. And when I was done, I sat back, feeling better and quite self justified, staring at the pages filled with ink.

It took all of five minutes before I regretted writing that letter. In those five minutes, something amazing happened, something which I can barely describe. You see, my dear muse, in those five minutes I suddenly realized I thought of you not just as some mythical force, but a powerful creative entity that was an extension of myself. I thought of you as a living being in those minutes - and I felt horrible. I reread those pages several times, and I realized what a horrible mistake I had made.

Because you see, Muse, I can't blame you. 

I can't blame you for wanting to hide away from someone who would write such a letter, just like I would hide myself if someone wanted to do those things to me.
I expect you to be around whenever I demand it, no questions asked, no excuses given.
I expect you to come with creativity and ideas in hand, and to keep delivering when I feel that the ones you've tried to inspire me with aren't good enough.
I expect you to stay as long as I need you to, without rest, without breaks, without some time to stew in subconscious creative juices and come up with something new.
I expect you to be happy with these circumstances, where I'm prone to complain about your lack of work and dedication, your constant escapes, and rant, rave and insult you all the time.

If my boss wrote me a list of expectations like that, I would NEVER work for him. I would quit my job or sue him! And yet, here I was, writing out a whole letter demanding that you explain why you weren't following those rules.

And I came to realize a few very important things:

I realized that maybe you kept running away because I kept trying cage you and force you to work.
I realized that maybe you enjoyed coming on your own, and that you don't appreciate being summoned like a dog or slave.
I realized that even muses need time to rest, time to themselves, so that they can deliver later.

I realized that you are incredibly dedicated and understanding. You give and you give, and it's never enough. And on the few occasions when you actually get the chance to come up with a great idea, and can't wait to show it to me, I complain that you are being active at the worst possible time.

AND I'M SORRY.

I imagine that if you were a physical person, you would be one of the unhappiest, most depressed people in existence. And nobody would care.

When I started this letter, I'd planned to rant about how horrible you are, and how you were failing me.

Instead, I'd like to say: THANK YOU.

Thank you for always making some effort to show up, even when you hate that I called you.
Thank you for always coming with some ideas, even if they aren't the best. You take the abuse, the insults, the mockery, and you can't say anything about it - and you take some more after you get back from hiding out.
Thank you for always coming back, and sticking with me despite everything. I can't imagine how many times you've wanted to leave and never come back
Thank you for always trying to inspire me, and caring for my creative self.

You might not walk around or talk, or have a physical body, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't respect you or that creative part of myself. It does mean that you need someone to speak out for you, someone who cares. It's unfortunate that that someone just so happens to be the worst offender, ME, but I'll try harder.

In short, Muse, this letter is a promise.

I promise I'll try harder to see your side of things. 
I promise I'll understand when you need a break.
I promise I'll take a closer look at your ideas, no matter how horrible they may seem, and try to find the good in them.
I promise to actually work with you rather than expecting you to do all the work.

And most important: I Promise to respect you - you who are a part of me, an extension of my being and my creativity - and in so doing respect myself.

With all my love,
Your Writer

It's Week 3!

If you're anything like me, this generally is the point where we start panicking, where doubt falls on your shoulders like a laser guided missile and you begin to wonder "Why am I doing this?". I'm not going to tell you why you should be writing - that's up to you - but here are a few tips as we enter the next milestone in this WONDERFUL ADVENTURE!

1. Just Write!
I know, it sounds much easier than it is. You feel like banging your head against the typewriter or keyboard every time you sit down, and nothing seems to inspire you to write. But sometimes it isn't so much about the muse and the inspiration - it's about remembering that you committed to doing this (for yourself!) and that you have everything you need to complete your story. To quote Stephen King - "The Magic is in you."

And if you still have your doubts, then think about it this way - just write one word at a time.

2. Don't Plan Too Much
It's an easy trap to fall into. Every time you hit a wall you think "Back to the drawing board, I need more planning!" Or worse, you do a ton of research and try to work all of it into your story. This is a weakness of mine - I LOVE doing research. And once I have pages and pages of juicy facts that have sweet-bugger-all to do with my story, I keep trying to find ways to work them in. The fact is that too much planning can keep you stuck in front of the drawing board and away from writing, and too much research can boost your word count but slow your story down so much that you get bored writing it.

Keep it simple!

3. Eliminate Distraction

“There should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with. If there’s a window, draw the curtains or pull down the shades unless it looks out at a blank wall... You could do worse than strip your television's electric plug-wire, wrap a spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall. See what blows, and how far. Just an idea.” - Stephen King

Yes, yes, I know I quote him a lot, but can you truly think of a better way to say 'Avoid distraction' than 'Blow Up Your TV'? I didn't think so. I know it's tempting to watch your favourite series, or play your favourite game. So make it a bit easier - take the distraction out of the equation completely. For a gamer like myself, being on the computer typing is temptation enough. I'm only lucky I don't have a television to blow!

4. Accept Bad Writing
You are writing a novel in 30 days - Give yourself permission to write badly! I've reminded you before (and I'll do it every time I post until NaNoWriMo is over) that the point of this madness is to get your first draft on paper. It's not easy, hell, sometimes it's downright painful! Especially when you take a minute or two to quickly read what you've written. Some of us can even feel our eyeballs bleed as we read the horror that our story has become!

But that's not the point.

Dig, dig, and for heaven's sake, BURY that inner editor so far down that you have to go Editor Hunting (a close relative of Muse Hunting) once your story is done. Right now, just enjoy the flow of words as you get them down, and reward yourself for that step.

Allow yourself to write badly!

5. Sometimes You Need a Break
It's true. It sounds horrible, especially here in Week 3, but if you keep pushing yourself to the limits, you might find yourself starting to hate what you love. That's normal, of course, and bound to happen at some point. And there are times when you need to push through and past it. But there are also times when you need to settle down with a hot cup of coffee, some good music and a great book.

Reading is actually a great way to take a break - ask any published author, and they will tell you that they read quite a bit themselves. It's not only a good way to relax, but also a way to get inspired and learn a few tricks from an author you admire for free!

6. Most important - "Write For Yourself, Write To Be Happy."
Write because you LOVE it. Write because it's the first thing you think of when you wake up, and you can't imagine yourself doing anything but write for the rest of your life. Don't write to be famous, don't do it for money or recognition and fame. Maybe that will come, maybe it won't. But every time you sit down to write, feel the bubbles of joy (or love-hate, whichever) inside you as you imagine the world your about to create.

If you do that, then nothing can stop you!




What are you going to do to get yourself through this week? Are there any things you like to do, things that inspire you? How do you feel when you write?

Let me know!

Time Flies! 

The first week of NaNoWriMo is almost over, and this is usually the point where things should be easier. After all, starting is the hardest part! But when you're writing during NaNo, the trials seem to be never-ending - the whole point of a challenge that encourages you to write a book in just one month! This are looking especially difficult as you now start preparing for week two of this craziness.

Here are some of the most common walls that are suddenly flying towards you at break-neck NaNoWriMo speed - and how you could deal with them.



1. MUSE ON HOLIDAY
This is probably the most common problem. The one moment your muse can't shut up, and the next you can't find her anywhere. It's enough to drive anyone batty, and once you have to start sitting down and forcing yourself to write, things just don't feel that much 'fun' anymore. The thing to remember, though, is that if you decided to join in NaNoWriMo just for fun, then do something that inspires you to write. Join in a few word sprints - there are several channels on Twitter that run them. One of the most popular (and best in my opinion, what do you think?) is @NaNoWordSprints.

But if you're not doing it for fun, but actually doing it to help drive you to complete your novel - then screw the muse! She'll come back when she realizes you're ignoring her. Just keep on writing! It sounds simple, but I know it's not that easy. So, pick a time every day and set it aside for writing. Don't use it for anything else. As Stephen King says (I warned you that I'd be quoting him a lot!):

“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.”

2. TOO MUCH MUSE
Yes, this can be a problem - those of you who have experienced this knows what I'm talking about. It's when your muse is active and talking and just won't shut up - about everything other than your novel. She keeps inspiring your poems, your short stories and even when you receive a prompt perfect for your novel... she still tells you about this wonderful flash fiction you just have to write.

Unfortunately, too much muse can get you thinking, leading to...


3.  I-NEED-TO-START-OVER-SYNDROME
With your muse suddenly incapable of even looking in the direction of your novel, you start to assume that your story idea is horrible, and the best thing you can do - despite the fact that your 11 000 words in - is to start over. Maybe you just need an exciting, much more creative plot to write about, and everything will be fine!

But it won't be. You'll give in this time and start your new story. Next week you'll probably be in the same boat, and again the week after. Before you know it, the month is over and you have 3 stories at 10K each. Stay focused, and later you'll find the diamond in the dung.


4. EDIT MODE
Also known as 'OMG-This-is-such-a-great-idea-but-my-writing-smells-like-something-that-died-in-a-sewer!'. Remember me mentioning the Diamond in the Dung hidden in your story? This is what happens if you decide to go looking for it before your story is even done. You just can't help yourself and you start editing. It probably starts small. Maybe just a paragraph.

Then a page.
Then you need to go back to the beginning to make sure everything looks as beautiful as this page.

Next thing you know your NaNoWriMo has gone out the window, and you've started NaNoEdMo - and when you're done with that you'll realize that NaNo is almost over, your story is half complete and your motivation has gone the way of the dodo.

You need to do something very difficult - take your inner editor and LOCK HIM UP. Picture a large empty safe with 10 inch door and a lock that even a super computer can't hack. The safe is buried far underground, in a shelter of some kind with nice big Star Wars^TM worthy doors. and there is no exit - it's all underneath a mountain that needs the hand of it's creator - you - to open it.

And you won't. You will be writing. Right now. Go!

Finally, all of this leads to the WORST ONE OF ALL:


6. PROCRASTINATION

The curse of everyone who has something to do, the bane of a writer's existence. It's the unholy offspring of 'Ooh, that looks like fun' and 'Meh, later'. It creeps up on you, then makes you believe it's the best thing in the world. It snuggles up to you, and the next thing you know, the vampiric bastard/bitch has its teeth in your neck and is sucking the life and creativity out of you.

But if you catch him quickly, recovery is possible!


The cure for almost all of the above is to just keep writing. It can be a thousand words or it can be a hundred words. It also helps to talk with others you know who are doing NaNo as well - bounce ideas around, and take a few notes of ideas that pop up in the conversation.

Nanowrimo is a challenge, we all knew that - but isn't that why we signed up?


What do you think? Are there any other challenges you think should be included? Let me know in the comments below!