Category Archives: Writing

January 24, 2012 · 4:36 pm

My Muse Just Left For the Casino!

How do I know? Well, there’s money missing from my wallet and she sure as heck isn’t here with me, in this lonely, windowless, overheated office. Doesn’t she know about my abandonment issues?

Fellow artists, I know you’ve felt the empty feeling and the pull-your-hair out panic when your muse is MIA. As I sit here worrying I might not have any money left when that crazy b***h gets back, I wonder—can a muse really leave? Is my muse a separate entity, or part of me? Aren’t those rare, fleeting moments of true inspiration actually me assessing my own subconscious? If I think of my muse as a separate entity, aren’t I essentially using a get out of jail free card and letting myself off the hook to explain away why I’m not producing? Maybe, but is that so terribly wrong?

This morning I watched a You Tube video where Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) questions why artists feel so tortured when their work isn’t going well and why so many plummet to the deep pits of depression and even insanity on such a regular basis. She goes on to suggest it might be healthier if artists did identify their muse as an external being, a creative divine attendant spirit that lives in the walls and seeps out and over an artist. After all, our art, although an act of expression, is in fact our job. We wouldn’t put ourselves through the dry spells if we hadn’t been called to do this work. When we show up for our job, we’re doing our bit and when the genius (Romans called a muse their genius) doesn’t visit us, well it isn’t our fault. Right? An external muse eliminates the need to torture ourselves over something completely out of our control and we get to keep our marbles. Sounds like a plan to me.

So as I plod my way through my re-writes, I’ll continue to look to my muse—even if she’s decided to wear her invisible cloak that day. And once in a while, I’ll even let her take a break if she has to blow off some steam at the casino. I’ll just have to get it in writing that she’ll be using her own cash from now on!

Here’s the link to the video. I think artists—and those that love one—will benefit from her sense of humour. We could all learn to not take ourselves so seriously.

Enjoy.

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January 21, 2012 · 11:15 pm

Finally Blogging

Welcome to my first blog post!

My goal for this blog is to not only sound a foghorn out into the world that I seem to remember is out there (I intentionally write in the one room of the house without a view), but to share my journey toward publication with fellow writers and book lovers alike. With regular posts, I also hope to assure my family and friends who may not see me again until my novel is finished, that I’ve not succumb to a lethal case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

As you will discover, my story is not that different from most other writers. I knew I wanted to write from the time I was a child. Even at the age of ten all I wanted for Christmas was a typewriter (yeah, I said it, a typewriter. I really am that old) to write my stories. As it often does, life got in the way and I lost sight of my childhood dream. Then I remembered. I bought a notebook and the nicest pen I could afford and I was off again, spinning my yarn.

My first attempt at submitting a story was to the Chicken Soup series and out of 4000 stories, mine was shortlisted for Chicken Soup for the Grandparent Soul. I survived two further cuts, but ultimately ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor. Rather than discouraging me; a fire was lit inside my nice pen.

Several years have passed since that first story, and I think it’s safe to say, I have single-handedly supported Canada Post with all the mail I’ve sent to prospective publishers. I’m pleased to say a few have sent me acceptance letters/emails and I’ve finally seen my name in print on something other than a credit card bill.

In the spring of 2011, after years of juggling a full-time job (Marketing Manager for a children’s edu-tainment company), running a large household of super-sized people, working toward a certificate in creative writing from U of T Continuing Studies and writing every spare hour I could steal, I knew the risk of my going postal was becoming a real possibility. Something had to go. With my husband’s support (smart guy) I  left my job and have committed myself full-time to finishing my  novel.

And now the next step – Blogging, Facebook and even Twitter. I hope you will join me as I complete my final course and swim upstream inside the wonderful, exciting tide of literary fiction.

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