Losing the muse. It happens to the best of writers. You might be working on a novel, and one day you wake up and thae characters are no longer speaking to you in your head telling you their story so you can put it down on paper. I bet even Stephen King or Nora Roberts has had this occur to them, but they know how to deal with when this happens. Writers that are new to this thing called writing like you and I haven't developed those necessary skills to help ourselves get over this lost muse.
I usually don't share of my own personal experiences in these weekly columns, but I think this week I must. Just about two years ago, I started a novel. It was one that had been in my head for several years. I had never written a novel before, so didn't know how to approach it. I hadn't written in many years at least writing that wasn't for school or work, so I sat down at my computer one day and just started writing. I wrote whatever my hero and heroine told me to write. Seventy thousand words and almost two years later, my novel, my child, sits on my desk still unfinished. About 5 months ago, I lost the muse. My characters stopped speaking to me. So the novel sits. I have tried to get back to it. I want to finish it, but don't know if I can. I may have moved away from this type of writing and into others. I may have pinned my market wrong, since the novel is an adult romnce and now I seem to be writing lighter romance that seems more geared towards the young adult and teen markets.
So what do I do with my incomplete novel? Let it sit on my shelf gathering dust, or do I pull it off and resurrect it somehow. Maybe work my magic and edit to the lighter fare I have been writing lately. I still haven't figured it out yet, but I know that I will not let my characters die. There was a reason that story had sit in my head for all these years, and I will figure it out how to get the muse back. As will you if this ever happens to you.
This week's market and contest of the week are:
Market of the Week
I usually don't share of my own personal experiences in these weekly columns, but I think this week I must. Just about two years ago, I started a novel. It was one that had been in my head for several years. I had never written a novel before, so didn't know how to approach it. I hadn't written in many years at least writing that wasn't for school or work, so I sat down at my computer one day and just started writing. I wrote whatever my hero and heroine told me to write. Seventy thousand words and almost two years later, my novel, my child, sits on my desk still unfinished. About 5 months ago, I lost the muse. My characters stopped speaking to me. So the novel sits. I have tried to get back to it. I want to finish it, but don't know if I can. I may have moved away from this type of writing and into others. I may have pinned my market wrong, since the novel is an adult romnce and now I seem to be writing lighter romance that seems more geared towards the young adult and teen markets.
So what do I do with my incomplete novel? Let it sit on my shelf gathering dust, or do I pull it off and resurrect it somehow. Maybe work my magic and edit to the lighter fare I have been writing lately. I still haven't figured it out yet, but I know that I will not let my characters die. There was a reason that story had sit in my head for all these years, and I will figure it out how to get the muse back. As will you if this ever happens to you.
This week's market and contest of the week are:
Market of the Week
Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Losing the muse in Literary Markets is owned by . Permission to republish Losing the muse in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Regina Avalos's Literary Markets topic, please visit the Discussions page.