Recipe for The Muse

All writers and artists think that they are the only one who struggles with their muse. In the case of writers, they see the finished book of a published writer and compare that to their own work-in-progress. They don't get to see the early drafts of that book; if they did, they would sometimes barely recognise it as the same work. Only the published writer of any particular book knows how many drafts, how many long hours were spent bringing it up to publication standard. We've all heard of an 'overnight sensation' who points out that it didn't happen overnight at all, that they had been there all along, polishing their craft so it gleamed amongst all the other struggling artists, until they were finally 'noticed'. It's the noticing that seems to happen 'overnight' not the polished performance, or book, or work of art.

A word of warning here: do not show your early drafts to family. If they love you, of course they are going to think it is wonderful. Generally, friends don't work either, so unless you know someone whose opinion you truly value, don't show it to friends either. Until your work is in book form you should not be seeking readers who will only offer you approval. When you are getting to final draft stage, and you need constructive criticism, you need other writers. At the beginning of your writing career, a writers circle or club is ideal. My post tomorrow will talk about these, and other options.

Forget about other writers and their muse and concentrate on the job at hand, the draft of the manuscript you are working on right now. In my opinion, muse is just a term that covers many aspects of writing. Here's my recipe for you to create your own muse (the proportions are my own; yours may be different. Experiment until you have it right.):

Creating a Muse

10% determination
10% commitment
1% inspiration
1% motivation

Add to the above - 78% perspiration and a sprinkling of passion

Use this mix on a regular basis, daily or weekly, whatever suits your program. Applying it in the same location each time will help your muse rise to the occasion.

As you progress, you will discover that you need less of one component and more of another. Everyone's muse is different; you just need to experiment to find your perfect mix. It's natural to feel insecure about your work, everyone does and just knowing this helps me over those days when my muse mix is a little off. I just adjust it and move on.

As you write, remember that nothing worthy of creation happens overnight.

Discipline, Determination, and Commitment

It takes discipline to be a writer, particularly if you are freelancing or working from home. There's always something lurking nearby that is screaming out for attention, such as lawns to be mowed, washing to be done, the house to clean. This is where determination and commitment come in. Having your own 'work space' helps; I find it easier to get to work if I treat it as a separate environment. After breakfast and necessary chores, I get ready for work, then I go to work. I give myself regular breaks for tea and lunch, and I structure my work day to get the most out of it.

Deadlines help too and if I don't have a deadline from an editor, I set one for myself. Some people work well under pressure and will leave the work until the very last thing, rushing to beat that looming deadline; for me, deadlines spur me on in a different way. I have to beat them and will do everything in my power to make sure that my work is finished well before time. To my mind, this allows me the freedom to leave my 'completed' draft alone for a day or two, or even a week in some cases, before I come back to it with a fresh eye for a final edit. If I put myself under pressure, I make silly mistakes.

Keeping a work diary also helps me with commitment. In it I record what work I began on a particular day, with a note as to when I expect it to be completed. I then write a note ahead in my diary on the selected date for that deadline. When the work is finished, I note the date it was actually finished, where I sent the finished article, and when I expect to receive a reply from that editor or competition organiser. If the work, in my opinion, is not good enough to be sent anywhere, I file it in a folder in "my documents" and may come back to it at a future date, to work on it some more.

Reading through my diary now and again shows me where I can improve my work practices - and there is always room for improvement. I know that if I commit and am determined, and if I discipline myself, my writing will improve. Success breeds more motivation, and if inspiration is lacking, I'll work without it.