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Topic: On days when the muse just isn't there...

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LadyLioncourt avatar
Subject: On days when the muse just isn't there...
Date Posted: 3/26/2008 12:47 PM ET
Member Since: 8/15/2007
Posts: 454
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On just one of those days when the muse has decided to take a vacation, and you're stuck staring at a blank document, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing again?

screader avatar
Subject: Lost Muse
Date Posted: 3/28/2008 10:27 AM ET
Member Since: 2/12/2008
Posts: 4
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I write about it...LOL...I know how ya feel.  It is quite frustrating.

 

She screams

  as red paints the walls

Splattering....


       dripping.....


                 out of place....

 



It runs down


    the whitewashed walls


Of her minds own personal hell


As she reaches for paper


To dry the blood red tears


   of her frustration


Begging for something....


       someone...


                 anything....



"Rescue me...Inspire me...Revive me..."

 



But no sirens are heard...


    no flashing lights


                 Nothing....

 



Empty air meets her pleading cries

 



Throwing up her hands


    she grabs the pen from the floor


As the door slams


on her creativity once more

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------

A haunting tune plays


In the distance

 



::::::::::ECHOING::::::::::

 



Through the hidden


Hallways of


My muted imagination

 



Fingers reach for passing inspiration


Like the hungry grab for food

 


Torturing the growling stomach


Yet it stays just out of minds reach


Slowly I turn to see the sentences formed


By the crimson ink of my empty pen


And scream with the blankness


Of this wordless road

 

 



Last Edited on: 3/28/08 10:28 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
xengab avatar
Date Posted: 3/28/2008 3:36 PM ET
Member Since: 10/13/2007
Posts: 36,445
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I usually go do something really repedetive like scrubbing the kitchen floor or clean the bathroom from top to bottom. Just the constant, no thinking needed action usually kick starts my imagination.

Going for a walk usually helps too, grab a note book and walk up to the local park or a mildly busy coffee shop and sit down and write. 

MUSIC! Find some mood music, after awhile if you use the same CD you can program your brain into thinking about the story whenever that CD is put on.  I know this can be done because I accidently did this to myself, I cannot listen to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack OR watch the movie without zoning out and begining to plot and write.. :)

Drawing your character, a few times I have tried to draw what my main characters look like and that helps to kick start my wanting to write about them, also drawing floor plans or doing some research can held AND is useful productively spent time.

PaulaS avatar
Date Posted: 3/28/2008 7:51 PM ET
Member Since: 4/11/2007
Posts: 1,640
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I lay in my hammock outside, it helped this last month. 

I also take my characters out and play with them,  have conversation with them (sometimes on paper).  I also interview my characters, the last one was as a psychologist.

I read somewhere that laying down helps spurn the creative juices.  I use it as an excuse for afternoon naps.  I'll usually wake up with some idea.