VACATIONING WITH MY MUSE

by Korina Moss

Recently, one of my yet-to-be published writer friends asked me what the biggest difference was in my writing life since getting published. The answer came to me while I was on vacation… and working on my book.

I used to wait for my muse to show up before even opening my laptop. Was I feeling creative that day? Did I have several free hours in front of me to write? Sometimes I’d get started, but if the words weren’t flowing from my fingertips, I’d find myself playing virtual solitaire or scrolling through social media. Hence, it took me years to finish a book. The quickest I'd finished a manuscript before starting this series was ten months, and that was only because my agent was expecting it.

Being under contract, I no longer have the luxury of waiting for my muse. Now I summon her, even if I only have thirty minutes and not the whole afternoon. Still, she doesn’t always show up, but I can no longer let writer’s block stop me in my tracks. I must climb over it and put words on the page. They are usually very awful words that look like I’m writing a first grade primer—SEE SPOT RUN. But I’ve found even clumsy thoughts contribute to my progress by advancing the plot and keeping the story in the forefront of my mind. And they invariably turn into better words on another day when my muse has decided to make an appearance. She’s fickle that way.  

Since I’d handed in my third book in May and my editor gave me a date when I’d get it back with suggested revisions, I booked a last-minute trip for my son and me to celebrate his high school graduation. With only three weeks until our cruise, I was certain I’d have no impending deadlines – it would be smooth sailing! 

But as I’d written about in a post last September, “The Juggling Act of Being an Author,” there are many stages in a book’s production. And sure enough, I received the ‘first pass’ pages for my second book, Gone For Gouda, which would be due while I was away. ‘First pass’ pages are when your book has gone through the copy editing and proofreading stages and is now formatted. It’s the last chance to spot any errors—not something I could rush through in the week of chaos between my son’s graduation and our trip. Hence, Gone For Gouda was not gone for good—it came with me. Luckily, a cruise vacation has plenty of down time and I was able to finish it days early and without much interruption of our fun. I even started outlining my next project while onboard.

Not every writer is the same. Many can write more quickly than I can or have better organizational skills or have found a better work-life balance than I have thus far. However, something we all have in common is deadlines, which means if you become a published author, your muse just might have to go on vacation with you.  

  

Readers: Are you able to successfully leave your cares behind when you go away on a trip? 

Writing in Spite Of

by Kaye George

We write because we love to write. We would rather be writing than be doing anything else. Why is it, then, that we don’t always do it, can’t always do it?

Things get in the way. Most of us who have contracts and deadlines are long past the idea that we should sit around and wait to be inspired by a…muse, whatever that is. We KNOW we have to sit at the computer (or with the laptop, wherever) and just do it. But sometimes we don’t, do we?

It does happen that we can’t make our brain operate sometimes. Just before and just after my husband’s death a couple of years ago, my brain was paralyzed. My publisher graciously gave me the time I needed to turn in my project. Without worrying about being cancelled (which I was before I told them), I was freed to take the few months I needed and then to complete my project. 

If it’s not our brain, it can be our body. That’s happening for me this month. Yet another joint wore out and I’m having it replaced. By the time you read this, I’ll have a shiny new hip. (I assume it’s shiny. If it’s not, don’t tell me—I like that visual.) I really goofed up picking my ancestors and I have lousy joints. I don’t plan on missing my next deadline for this, though. It isn’t until February, and I’ve tried to prepare for a week or two off by doing a lot of writing lately.

Outside forces can interfere, too. Having to move—that’s not only a hassle, it interrupts work when resource books, computers, printers, whole offices have to be packed away, moved, then unpacked.

I haven’t experienced a flood or a tornado, but that would interrupt me indefinitely, I’m sure.

How have you dealt with interruptions, distractions, and obstacles? Any tips for getting back into your work after that?

photos from morguefile: jim113, clarita, npclark2k