Friday, August 12, 2011

The Truth about Muses

I was going to write a big ol' long post on inspiration this morning. Really. But then I found this...


...and suddenly it all seemed moot.

Even if you're not a writer, surely you have a muse to help get you through your day. A Day Job muse, a Cooking muse, a Laundry muse, a Please-Don't-Let-Me-Kill-My-Children muse...

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there are muses for all endeavors.

So, what kind of muse do you have? And what muse methodology works best for you -- gentle and cajoling, or armed and dangerous?

30 comments:

Al said...

I have no idea about my muse. It just seems to happen.

Summer Frey said...

Mine's more along the lines of a drill sergeant. All of them.

Kerry Schafer said...

Okay - this totally cracked me up. I may just steal that as my wallpaper pic for awhile. : )

Linda G. said...

Al -- Ah, the invisible, non-intrusive muse. Subtle. ;)

Summer -- the ever-reliable Drill Sergeant muse. Always effective.

Kerry -- Go for it! May you find it suitably inspiring.

Anonymous said...

My brain is creative enough, it's only once a month I need a bit of cajoling. Luckily, all my successful author friends have been writing more lately, so the race is on. A bit of competition gets me going.

Patty Blount said...

My muse is a TEASE.

Some days, he waves chocolate under my nose, whispering the perfect word in my ear. Other days, he's sprawled on the sofa with the remote control, a beer, and a bad attitude.

Lately, he's been snapping a whip.

I don't quite know what to make of that.

Isis Rushdan said...

Ha-ha, this was too funny. I wish my muse was bit more aggressive, but we have a good working relationship. Thanks for the laugh.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

LOL - I really could use a muse like this!

One of the best things I do for motivation is attend sessions of The Practice Room (by Tina Laurel Lee) where groups of writers meet online, write for a solid hour (unplugged from the internet, TV, etc), and the meet again for a chat to talk about progress. Recently, Tina has also started having these meetings via Google+. This is even better, because you can see everybody writing!

'Cause in the regular session, ahem, you can cheat. Who would know? But in the Google+ Hangout, they'd SEE you cheating ...

Kimberly Sabatini said...

My muse is like Yoda...tricky, sneaky little guy. And he's friends with the Wookies. Who knew?

Bagman and Butler said...

My muse for all creative activity used to be the "If I play guitar I can pick up girls" muse. These days my muse is the "If you stay in bed you'll get bed sores" muse.

Bess Weatherby said...

Wow. Well, that is just too perfect. My muse, I think, is a combination of coffee, misery and that crazy-excited feeling after I read a really good book!

And maybe the occasional glass of wine . . . maybe ;)

Linda G. said...

Suz -- The Competition muse, huh? So all s/he has to do is whisper in your ear that someone has a higher word count than you, and it works like magic. ;)

Patty -- Ha! The Erratic muse. (Not to be confused with the Erotic muse, which is another kettle of fish altogether. Though with that whip...um, never mind.)

Isis -- You're welcome. As long as you and your muse work well together, that's what counts. :)

Dianne -- That does sound motivating, but I tend to buckle under the clock. I need to ignore time completely when I'm writing.

K-pop -- LOL! Never underestimate the power of the Force. ;)

B & B -- Ha-ha! Our muses must adapt with us over the years.

Bess -- Funny how the occasional glass of wine feeds so many muses. ;)

Carol Kilgore said...

I laughed out loud and received WTH looks from my dogs. This IS my muse.

Happy Weekend!

abby mumford said...

too funny, grimes.

i thought i needed a gentle and cajoling muse, but seeing that pic makes me think i need something with more of an edge to scare me into production.

Beth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Beth said...

OK, trying again.

I want the muse with the gun. Where can I hire her? Mine seems to be perpetually off doing her nails or surfing the net or curled up with a book somewhere...

Linda G. said...

Carol -- Aw, thanks. Happy Weekend to you, too. :)

Abby -- Thanks, Mumford. *grin* A little edge might be just the ticket. ;)

Beth -- I picked mine up at Muses R Us. Accessories cost extra. ;) But heck, if it will help you finish TKG, I'll send mine over, loaded for bear. ;)

Dawn@Lighten Up! said...

My muse? I better get this done. Only x amt of hours till I kick the bucket.
Positive thinking, no?

Kasie West said...

LOL!!!! Love it. And I need *that* kind of muse right about now. Will you send one my way??

Keriann Greaney Martin said...

LOL! There's a group of people on Twitter who use the hashtag #writingatgunpoint. This should be their logo. :D

Sarah Tokeley said...

This? This is just perfect. This is my whole life.

Linda G. said...

Dawn -- LOL! That's the same muse who prodded me into taking my writing seriously enough to go for the publication brass ring. ;)

Kasie -- Sure. One muse, armed and ready, heading your way!

Keriann -- Ha! I'll have to check out that Twitter group.

Sarah -- It's all about finding the right motivation, huh? *grin*

Beth said...

Cool. Is he cute?

Linda G. said...

Beth -- But of course. Cute, and he has a big gun. ;)

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

You find some of the BEST pics for your blog! Love all the camels, and REALLY love this muse pic. Me, my muse is being a little quiet lately. I don't think he's been getting enough sleep.

Shrinky said...

Haaaaaaaaaaaaa, oh boy can I relate to the stick figure! I find my muse likes swimming in the bottom of a glass of wine, and usually in the wee small hours..

Michele Shaw said...

I definitely respond to threats. My muse is mean and hangs back until I've overdone the lazy, then KABOOM! Both barrels.

COLM O'RIAIN said...

In Greek mythology there were nine muses, one of which Thalia,the comedy muse, may well be influencing your work. However, Shakespeare refers to a 10th muse:
"Be thou the tenth muse,ten times more in worth,
Than the old nine which rhythmers invocate"
I think Shakespeares tenth Muse is could be the key inspiration of the madcap comic images of Virtual Reality;brilliant as usual and congrats to author and muse both!

Anonymous said...
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plentyoffish.com said...

Now THAT will definitely motivate you to write. Dianne's comment got me thinking, though. It's a great idea for writers to motivate other writers. Plus, it's a great way to meet new people online! I would love to join that group.