How I got the muse moving...

 Via an overheard conversation, a motivating telling to, (or should that be telling off) and a cold and glorious sea side walk. It gave me some ideas.

 (photo: Joanne Robinson)

I had no idea what to chat about today, then two good friends both gave me suggestions, which although different, work together.

The first was how I got my mojo back, motivated my muse and got it moving. (Lots of 'M's' there, but it is now my motto! Remember the 'M's'.

The second: how I use the things I have seen on my travels over the years to set the scene. Base towns and villages on places I've visited or lived, get my geography correct, use my personal knowledge to create my story's setting.

                               Scotland                                      

(Hong Kong)

(Devon UK)

(Barbados)

When I thought about it, I realised how one doesn't work without the other. Well, not for me.

What got my muse back and raring to go?

Or should I say who?

It was several things.

The fact a fabulous ex-editor is opening her own publishing house—Bastet's Quill— and I want to write something for her. 

I was (and still am) writing a Regency story about a lady smuggler, set on the Yorkshire coast. I know where the story is going, am half way through and it's like walking through treacle. This is a moment a lot of writers struggle with, and usually I can climb out, go upwards and onwards reasonably easily well after only a few days moaning and groaning)

This time my muse shut up shop and remained stubbornly closed. Went AWOL

I even wrote bits of the story to be slotted in when I got to where they might be needed, but oh could I find the words to get to any of them?

No!

I thought okay then, time to think of something else.

Then, by one of those lovely quirks of fate you sometimes get, I overheard a conversation between an adult and a toddler of about three or four years old. It went something like this... 

Child: "Freya says shut eyes go there."

Adult: "Where?"

Child: "Where want to. Sneazland." 

They moved away and I pondered about that. Dreams? Senses? Connections?

It got my muse thinking.

Sneazland? Hmm.

I found a picture we took a few years ago on a dream holiday in New Zealand. The Wanaka Tree. Not on this one, but  somewhere there's even one with me on the shore line in front of it. 

My muse perked up even more.

I've used the Wanaka Tree elsewhere in a book. could it appear in another one?

Why not? The stories aren't even remotely similar. And let's face it there are lots of stories set in the same place by lots of people.

So I'm writing. And I know the facts will be accurate. Ive been there, seen it, got the photo.

Take Hong Kong... or Barbados, or...well any of the places I've been lucky enough to visit. 

I make notes. Copious notes. Take photos. Lots of photos. I am a great fan of notebooks. I've got a shelf of them. Some used with titles like Shaldon (a village in Devon), Pismo Beach (California), and Great Ocean Road (Australia).

Other's are a bit more cryptic.

Inside I've got info I think might come in handy. As well as a lovely way to remember all the great places I've been fortunate enough to visit.

I'm also a terrible eavesdropper. Some of the things you overhear make your eyes boggle and your jaw drop. But I store them up and hope tht one day they might come in handy.

And they are often a good way to get the muse into gear.

As is asking people to give you say ten words and you write something of 100, or 500 words or whatever with those ten words in it. A mate got  best seller after she asked me to give her 10.

And now, after writing this, my muse is screaming.

She's in Wanaka. What next?

 I better go and find out.

Happy reading,

love Raven xxx

(all pictures, copyright Joanne Robinson or Pinterest)