There's a
string going around the Desert Breeze Author Group asking 'Where do your ideas
come from?'. It seems that we all have our
own inspirations and thought processes. But I can only speak for myself . . .
That imp,
Muse, can be playful, encouraging or illusive - and I have no control of her. She
often acts like a petulant child. She does not present herself when
called. There are times when she doesn't
even bother to answer.
Even when
she does honor me with her presence, she can be miserly and give me only the briefest
glimpses of an idea. It's like that
'thing' you've been trying to remember--the one that's always just out of
reach.
Case in
point . . . I've spent the last several years polishing my book and sending it
out into the cold, cruel world. Yes, I
know you get a lot of rejections before someone sees that you have
something. Believe me, I've have a
lovely collection - both email and snail mail - rejection letters; some nicer
than others.
And, then a
true Christmas miracle! Desert Breeze
sent me a contract - not for just the first book in my series - but all five. I was ecstatic and then terrified. I worked hard to get everything required
finished in good time. In fact, I beat my February first deadline by three
days. Then I kind of drifted. I wasn't
sure what to do next.
I had an
idea in one of the plethora of steno notebooks that litter my house - something
I'd actually thought about almost thirty-five years ago. (Writing with a computer really is a God-send
for someone just a teensy bit obsessive/compulsive--but that's another blog.) And, to be honest, I touched on the idea in
an earlier blog. I was 'playing' with it, but not really working.
Then,
something my wonderful mentor said lit a fire in me. I jumped on the work train. I like working with images in front of me -
so, I made a big bulletin board and starting pinning things up. I got out my
ancient white and chalk boards, ordered two mew ones and starting
scribbling.
I'd had an
idea in the middle of the night - and I wrote it down - because, I turned sixty
last week - enough said there. BTW: You
should always have notebooks in your purse and car, along with writing
implements. I recommend mechanical pencils - erasable and no sharpener
required. I also sleep with a notebook
with a mechanical pencil clipped on. I
used to have one of those tiny book lights--but since it died, I just scribble
in the dark. As long as you transcribe
it in the morning, you'll get the gist of it.
So, anyway, I'd blocked out the basic idea - pinned
it up and kept looking at it. (I also
try and think about things as I fall asleep.)
Later, I expanded the idea into a bulleted list and started surfing the
internet for some research information.
Then Muse
showed up; and now all bets are off.
She's sign-posted several possible plot paths for that original idea. She's also given me an idea for a brand new
series - which may or may not be 'romance based'.
The bottom
line is that if you're patient, your muse will appear. The trick is to not try and lead her--follow
her. Because, when she is in a generous
and communicative mood, she can be a bountiful spirit.
You see, that
old adage is true - 'When it rains, it pours.'
