Each of us has our own source of writing inspiration, something that helps us create and mold our stories, an elusive creature we worship with cult-like devotion.
No, I’m not talking about Richard Armitage. I am talking about a muse. Or in my case, Muse, capitalized because it’s her title, her calling, her raison d’etre, the reason she can be such a pain in the–
My Muse is Endora. (For the young ones out there, she’s the temperamental mother in the TV show Bewitched. For the rest of you, thank you for your sympathy.)
Endora is the perfect storm of haughtiness, disdain, and tough love. During her unpredictable visits, I count myself lucky when she remembers to call me Donna instead of Durwood.
If there is anyone who is more confident of their contrary opinions, I haven’t met them yet. She’ll bark out a laugh when I startle her with something funny (especially if I didn’t MEAN for it to be funny). She’ll wrinkle her nose and sniff as if the litter box is overflowing when I’ve offended her storytelling sensibilities.
She’s also incredibly surprised when I create something that amuses her. I live for those rare moments when her heavily penciled eyebrows shoot up with astonished admiration. She’s miserly with her praise, as if each encouraging word causes a sharp pain in her soul, but I make her give until it hurts.
She’s a witch with a capital B, but I’m driven to please her. And she knows it.
Endora loves her job, but she’s also flighty, and fickle, and rather capricious about when she will actually do it. She is incapable of keeping to a regular schedule, so I’ve quit suggesting it. If I accidentally bore her, there’s a snap of fingers and a puff of smoke, and I’m instantly alone, staring at a blinking cursor on the computer screen, wondering how to lure the insufferable wench back.
What I usually do is tap away at the keyboard, resigning myself to the fact that I’m going to have to do this writing thing on my own for a little while. Somehow the mundane task of typing entices Endora. Maybe she’s planning to thump me on the head for waking her from her beauty nap. Or maybe she’s come to warn me of the hex with my name on it if I don’t stop trying to write solo.
I’m never sure WHY this technique brings her back. I doubt she knows either. But it does. The next thing I know, she’s looking over my shoulder, snorting with derision, and then I hear a muttered, “I suppose that part’s not too horrid.”
It’s hard to tell which of us is the most surprised by her grudging approval.
The tricky part is figuring out WHAT makes Endora happy, because, as with any diva, it’s never the same thing twice. If she adores chocolate one day, and the words flow after I’ve presented her with the most exquisite confections ever made. . .the next time she’ll take one bite of the same stuff and spit it out as if I’d given her a clod of dirt.
If I take a nap to deal with the heartbreak of her desertion, she plops down next to me, whispering tantalizing plot points in my ear until I am wide awake, frantic to give her my undivided attention again.
There’s some sort of magic in this partnership of ours, and I’ve quit trying to figure out the dysfunctional workings of it. Ultimately she seems proud of my efforts, and I like to believe she wouldn’t hang around if she didn’t get something out of the experience. (I don’t want to even contemplate how many other unfortunate writers she torments on her daily rounds. We could probably have an annual convention.)
Yet, as contrary as the old gal is, I can’t imagine what my writing life would be like without her. I do my best to amuse her, and she returns the favor, in her own inimitable fashion.
So tell me about your muse. How do you keep your muse happy? How does he/she reward you for your efforts?
P.S. Endora insisted I mention the latest review Lord Midnight received: a Top Pick rose from Romance Reader at Heart. We're both thrilled!
You're sure it's not RA? I have it on the authority of a really good YouTube video that he is in fact the man who brought sexy back. On the other hand I've also seen videos that say Kermit the Frog, Donald Duck and SpongeBob brought sexy back.
My muse is called Eustacia. She's not as diva-like as your Endora but she is very inconsistent in her schedule. She's an odd mix of classic and modern and she loves bad puns.
Posted by: Kate Warren | April 23, 2012 at 03:09 PM
LOL, Kate -- believe me, Mr. RA has inspired me plenty. In fact, I kinda had him in mind for a hero of a different book I'm working on. :) I don't think I could use the others -- Kermit, Donald Duck and SpongeBob for suitable inspiration though. LOL
Eustacia sounds fun (trying to think of some bad puns for her.) Endora is definitely a diva, so it sounds like we can't arrange playdates with the two of them. LOL I also think that an inconsistent schedule is part of a muse's repertoire. At least in my experience. :)
Posted by: Donna Cummings | April 23, 2012 at 04:18 PM
Donna, I love the way that you and Endora interact.I bet she invades your dreams as well, testing ideas, acting out scenes, and thoroughly firing up those neurons.
I recently decided that I needed a more spiritual muse. I was playing a computer game with my Grand. It involves Santa flying over houses and dropping presents down the chimneys. I was hopeless, knocking more holes in the roofs than filling the kids stockings. This was when I experienced a revelation, rather like St Paul on the road to Damascus.I realised that my current muse was missing the target more often than not!
I then decided that I needed to attract Kundalini to my writing realm. To extract the wisdom of ages from the subtle energies flowing in the aether. I'm still trying to awaken her but when I do, I expect the blast to rock the romance world! LOL
Anyway I can always read your books when I need uplifting .... hurry up with the next one please!
Posted by: Quantum | April 24, 2012 at 03:49 PM
Q, Endora and I are quite the pair, aren't we? LOL I had to laugh at the thought of you not being able to play Santa!
I don't know much about Kundalini -- I thought it was a type of yoga. :) I'd better investigate this. It might help me keep Endora in line. And I'll be ready when you rock the romance world (can't wait!)
I'm finishing up some novella edits, and then I can get back to something else -- most likely another historical. Although I'm also finishing a contemporary. . .There's a lot of things going on. LOL
Posted by: Donna Cummings | April 24, 2012 at 07:03 PM
Very interesting post! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Posted by: how to write a paper | May 17, 2012 at 02:58 AM