I had begun a whole thought on the subject of muse and found that I just couldn't get into what I was saying at all. Have you ever done that, started something then found that the direction you were going just felt completely wrong? What do you do in situations like that?
The hardest thing to do sometimes is to just cut it out and begin again. But at the same time that sometimes is the best option you have before you. It hurts to lose not only the work, but also when you are a part of the world you have created, you are cutting out a piece of your life. Sometimes writers are bullies just by necessity.
The idea of a muse can fall into the same trap. Sometimes we become so attached to just one thing, one method of inspiration that it hampers are ability to move forward. As much as it hurts, sometimes you have to move on to something else, step away and find some distance.
Where does your mind go when you begin to write? What do you do when that doesn't work like you expect it to?
I understand the dilema. For me I have several things on the go all the time so that no matter where my mind takes me, I have a place for all those thoughts. :)
ReplyDeleteI tend to do the same thing. Keeping track of several different projects tends to help me keep moving forward.
DeleteWriting is very fluid, Jon. It is like a river that is constantly flowing and changing its landscape as it goes.
ReplyDeleteIt's when you hit a roadblock (using a beaver dam in the analogy of the river) that you have to step back and figure out a way to get around the obstruction. It is all part of the creative process. That's why you'll often see artists step way back from their work before enhancing it. Good luck!
I like the analogy of the river. Mind you this brings me to a Garth Brooks song. My mind tends to flow along two different lines. The first is visual. Visual imagery works deeply into my psyche. The second is music. Much of my memory is tailored around music (even though I have little musical talent).
DeleteWhenever I start writing and find it's not working I always keep going. Sometimes you have to clear the cobwebs out to get a good flow. Then, I find I can go back and make the crappy parts work much better.
ReplyDeleteFighting your way through is a great direct approach to breaking the barriers that stop us from freeing our thoughts.
DeleteI hear you. It not the easiest thing to do to just let it go. I am dyslexic and that it part of the reason I find it difficult. Writing for me is a much harder task then it is for others. So when I hit a wall or a road block it's very frustrating to say the least. Good luck with this. :-)
ReplyDelete