I woke up this morning with an urgent need to write. Come on, I said to my muse, we have to keep working on the character charts. She crossed her arms high across her chest, sending bony shoulders up near her ears. Her little eyebrows furrowed and rose petal lips shot forward in a pout. I felt my resolve waiver. Well, I proposed, we could open that spreadsheet and continue plugging in the outline scenes. What do you say? My muse stomped her foot, hard. I sighed. What do you do when your muse is a petulant child who just wants to play?
I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to give in to her. What the hell? I'm not her parent, after all. Today I say, outline smoutline. Ya! shouts my muse. Spring is here. Too bad for you, Snowflake Method! Me and the writer chick are gonna have some fun. Ignore the schedule. Break some rules. See what we can get away with!
I hope you're embracing your inner petulant child today. Set your muse free! Write with wild abandon, I dare you. (Okay, Muse. That's quite enough. Save it for the book.)
Anyone else feeling wild and free today?
Photography copyrighted to Da Photo Guy
43 comments:
And what are you going to do when that petulant child turns into a petulant teenager! And instead of hanging out with you she hops on the backend of a motorcycle belonging to her 23 year old boyfriend. The one with tatoos covering both his arms, who didn't finish high school because he couldn't manage to get out of bed before noon. What then??
Just kidding...of course. I say let down that hair and allow the words to flow! If writing isn't fun, then maybe its become too structured. Inject some happy into the process.
It feels so great to let it all go and just write. I should do more of that!
Personally not feeling wild and free today (being at work can do that), but I am very happy for you and glad that you're feeling inspired.
That snowflake method of writing sounds pretty cool, if a little anal, and I do want to try it someday.
I do write with outlines but only loosely, it has been a while since I went crazy with creativity though, perhaps I should take a cue from you Nicole, thanks!
Shameless self promotion:
If you have time please stop by, read and comment on my guest post for today over at Justine Dell's blog:
http://justine-dell.blogspot.com/
It's an interesting topic that will hopefully spark some discussion.
Thanks!
I love that picture! Cute - and cute post.
I've got a new short story to write. I've been wavering on starting it because there's a plot point I haven't quite resolved, and I usually need my shorts fully outlined so they don't wander or just stop, but ... this time I think I'm going to go for it.
Now that you mention it I think today I will be Wild & Free!!! Watch out world here I come!!
Not so much wild and free, but I am feeling bloated and irritable. Oh wait, I'm not supposed to share those kinds of things, am I? So much for decorum...I guess I AM feeling wild and free ;-)
I live wild and free EVERY day!
Rules shackle me.
You go with your bad self today, Nicole! Bust a move.
Let 'er rip!
Happy Tuesday!
Lola
I feel like calling in sick. Does that count? Gotta run, work beckons...
That is the cutest picture ever.
Rules..ha! Who needs them??? Go for it and have fun! I'm going through the same thing right now. Those Muses can be very bossy!
My muse only let me get through about step 4 or 5 of the snowflake method before she started to throw bottles at me.
I mean, she was drunk so she missed, but still...
Breaking rules rocks.
OMG!! You are ALL wild and crazy commenters today! I am CRACKING up at all of your awesome responses. I think I'll read your funny comments several times today, so the smile on my face can't fade!
Thanks for making my day!!
My muse is pretty cooperative-- but my muse is also Thor, the god of thunder, so he's not exactly someone that can be argued with too much. It's a very good thing we get along as well as we do :P
I have something for you on my blog! And I wanted to say that I LOVE your layout :)
My Muse (who's in a sarcastic Monday mood today although it's Tuesday) prompts me to paraphrase a famous sentence for you: 'Don't ask yourself what your Muse can do for you – ask yourself what YOU can do for your Muse...' And mine to continue in that vein: 'It's springtime outside. Why don't you take me for a walk?' Or could it be I confound my own wish with that of my Muse? There's somethiing to muse, I think...
I have a tendency of ignoring my Muse because I am committed to being a snowflaker. But I have broken down once to write the beginning of my opening scene, which hit me while I was exercising.
Right now I'm editing my other wip, so my Muse is extremely happy. Something for her to sink her teeth into (sorry for the boring cliche). ;)
I'm trying to outline as well, but muse is being stubborn, so might have to give in!
My muse is not a petulant child. She has tattoos and a few piercings, and doesn't mind throwing things at me when I'm not paying attention to her. She's actually, come to think of it, rather a bad influence. Just the way I like it. ;)
Awww your muse is adorable! I wish my muse was a cute little kid. I'm not even sure who my muse is (yet), but I will meet him/her eventually. My luck it will be a grumpy old man who tells me that when he was my age, he got x amount of writing done in a day... (actually, that might help me!)
Glad you're having a wonderfully wild and free day! Enjoy it! :D
Wild and free was yesterday
Today I have to work
Because I said I would
While being wild and free
Hey, how 'bout if you and your little muse come to my house and help me finish shoveling my dirt. Your muse can go in the pool with monster baby. We can forget about the dirt and sip iced tea on the deck and discuss our writing.
Hope you and your muse enjoy the wild abandon running through today!
That has to be the cutest muse I've ever seen! Wild and Free? Um, yes - right after my students all go home for the day! Ha ha. :-)
You're muse is so cute! lol. I wish I could write today, but I'm at work for 12 hours. I get a moment here and there to check blogs, but not time to get focused on my WIP. Good luck writing today.
Love the picture!! Sometimes we just have to let creativity rule! And sometimes we need to let it simmer.
My muse looks a lot like your muse, only older. And holding a cigar in one hand & a 2-cherry Manhattan in the other. Other than that, they could be twins. ;)
Off to break some rules...
All muses have their wild side, I think. My muse is a trash talking, heavy drinker sometimes because that's what's needed for the story, and sometimes, he's the best boyfriend there to envoke the 'sensitive' side of my writing.
Definitely. I had a very disappointing experience this afternoon so I'm all ready and raring to kick some wild and free ass.
Lounging around outside in the sun. Don't page me.
Not that you could, seeing as I don't have a pager, but, you know... whatev.
I did this just yesterday. Went crazy with the story going on in my head and spent five hours on it. The revision I was supposed to be doing fell by the side untouched. Eek.
Jai
No, I'm feeling a little tired. Think I'll take a nap and when I wake up, I'll ignore everything else and answer the call of the muse. She deserves some attention.
I love that you were feeling wild and free! That's brilliant! I was feeling more of the banging head on desk type. I must *bang* get this *bang* done!
But the day here is almost over, I've done (sort of) what I needed to do, and tomorrow's a new day! Maybe I'll be wild and free tomorow!
That is one adorable muse! I bet she's hard to say no to.
Not feeling free today - I'm spent. There's always tomorrow.
Thanks again for reading my excerpt and for lavishing me with compliments. (Yeah -- still glowing.)
I love this: "Spring is here. Too bad for you, Snowflake Method!"
I've been itching to connect with other writer's of fic lit, lit fic.... whatever we're calling it, so I'm very excited that you found me. :)
I sympathize... my muse is a bit rowdy and out of control herself!
I'm not at the writing portion of the day yet :) Hopefully my muse is on the ball when I get there!
Love your post! While I was away on a trip these past few days, I felt guilty for not writing a word. Know what? I actually freed up brain space and scratched down a few short story ideas. Take that, Muse!
I love the picture of your petulant muse! I think it's awesome that you gave in to her (and that your refer to your writing time as "play" time!).
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. :)
Actually, just the opposite, ha! Today's the day we obsessed over our outline. We were feeling wild and crazy last week and had to scrap, oh, 20,000 odd words. Yeah.
I always give in to my muse, who can resist her playful smile? When we're having fun, it doesn't even seem like work! When she's not around, that's when I go back to the outlining and revising.
My inner petulant child wanted chocolate and bad TV today. I gave in, my inner adult reasoned that the Easter candy should not go to waste.
Hi Nicole..glad you dropped by..my muse(or can you have more than 1 ?)as got four legs, a tail and one hell of an attitude..OR if you count them all, 16 legs 4 tails and a mixed bag of tempraments that keep me busy most of the day..good to read your blog...Joy
Sorry that should read temperaments, in previous post..haven't had my coffee yet.
When your muse has strong opinions I say, go with it. Free reign, you can see where a little freedom takes you - there's no harm in taking a walk on the wild side, occassionally.
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