M is for Muse
“First coffee, then a bowel movement. Then the
Muse joins me.”
Gore Vidal
In Greek mythology the nine Muses were the
daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. They were the patron
goddesses of intellectual and creative ability, literature, music and dance and
provided inspiration to mortals.
It's a romantic notion, that of a writer having
a muse. It feels like something rather grand and lofty, pretentious maybe,
something to be claimed by those writers who like to work in fountain pen lying
on a chaise longue with Edith Piaf warbling in the background and a fog of
Gitane smoke suspended above their heads.
For me, the presence in my writing life of a
muse, or, being honest and greedy, muses, is of vital importance. So much so
that I wouldn't be able to write without them. And trust me, I am not the
chaise longue smoker. Far from it.
To whom would you pay the ultimate compliment: you
make me want to write? Who have you visualised as a point of reference for
your novel or short story's main character, their appearance, their
physicality? If your character was portrayed on screen who would you envisage
in the role? Say hello to your muse.
Make your muse part of your family. Paste photos
of them into your journal or carry them on your phone the way you might photos
of your kids or dog. Wallpaper your office or the space you've set aside for writing
with images of your muse. And if it resembles a stalker's shrine, so what? You
aren't attempting to make the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. Unless
you are, which suggests you might be better off focusing on interior design
rather than writing. At least you might avoid the question, Where do you get
your ideas from? Make your muse part of your life but in a quiet, private
way. No one else has to know who inspires you. You don't have to share. It's
probably best if you don't. Egos can be easily bruised if people discover they
aren't the inspiration for your adored protagonist. And they should be adored.
If not, where will you find the fire needed to sustain the effort of creating
them and their world?
Muses provide impetus to write. Watching them if
they're an actor or listening to their music if it's a band or a singer who
fulfils the role of muse for you can often be a way into a piece of writing.
You'll hear or see something which fires your imagination, something which
makes you grab the closest scrap of paper and pen to capture an image, a line
of dialogue, a seed of a plot, a piece of description or even just a
character's name. It's exciting, like receiving a gift from someone you have a
special connection with.
Zoe White
I do like the idea of a shrine to your muse!
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