Wandering The Word Path

Wandering The Word Path

So, in blog world I’ve discovered I need to change my blog post name .. someone else already has One Writer’s Journey!  Henceforth, we will be Wandering The Word Path.

It’s a lovely path, really. So many treasures wait to be discovered and captured through the magic of words. A hard path at times, it is best traveled in the company of fellow word crafters. In that I am truly blessed, surrounded as I am by a wonderful group of writers and poets. I am thankful for the presence of each of them in my life.

Having now settled on a blog name, I can proceed with today’s topic:  “Don’t Quench The Muse”.

Most of you know a muse is an inspirational force that drives creativity. We don’t always know where it comes from or what ignites it; but we certainly know when the muse is active within us. Whether your form of creativity is writing, painting, music, or some other form of creative expression, when the muse strikes you find yourself suddenly on fire with ideas and creative activity. 

Some of us have also experienced what happens when we say no to a muse, even if only temporarily. Our lives are crazy. We jot ideas down and promise the muse we will get back to them as soon as possible. Weeks or months go by, though, before we can act on our promise. By then our inspiration has grown cold, our muse has gone into hibernation, 

This year I had intended to write book three of the Macready’s Bridge book series I have published. If you’ve read my previous blog or some of my Facebook posts, you know that I am working on a different book this year, that a particular muse has gifted me with a different project and has driven and guided my writing more powerfully than anything I’ve experienced before. 

By the end of February, I had finished the first draft of this new novel. I thought I would set it aside in March and work on book 3 of the series. March was, after all, the month of celebrating St. Patrick and all things Irish, and the Macready’s Bridge stories are set in Ireland. I set the new book aside and tried to focus on my Irish characters.

I couldn’t do it! A week in, I found myself unable to focus on my Irish boys, and very unhappy and frustrated that I wasn’t making progress on the newer writing project.

I knew how active my muse had been in feeding me the first draft of the new book. I was afraid if I didn’t keep following the muse’s lead, he would abandon me and the inspiration and energy driving the book would be lost. My muse would vanish, the inspiration would dry up, and I would be unable to finish this project. I knew I needed to let my Irish boys rest a while longer and stay with the project that is stirring my heart and soul so deeply. I have to see this one through to completion before I can set my hands to anything else.

Creative people can always invent projects, write words, set paint to canvas or paper, and come up with something new. However, a visit from a muse is a special gift. If/when a muse comes your way, do your best to listen and act on what gifts he or she bestows upon you.

As always, keep on following your dreams!

Sinéad