Do you ever think about how disturbed your muse might be?
I was recently writing a scene, and everything was all neatly mapped out. There should have been no problems, but I was trying to come up with a nice segue, and The Dreaded Muse spoke. This is sometimes a reason to run and curl up in the fetal position, because my muse is warped. Suddenly, she told me, "you know... We could make this so much better if we just make a teensy little adjustment."
Stupid me, I asked what adjustment that might be. I should have known better.
"You know that mini-series you watched years ago, and that one scene..."
If you're reading To Not Let Go... you'll know what I mean when you get there. I just want to post this disclaimer here. It wasn't me!!! It was The Dreaded Muse!!!
Rosemary
Comments
Ha!
I'm notorious for putting my characters through hell and killing them off. Not sure what that says about me or my muse. ;)
Have delightfully devious day,
Life is pesky that way
I was recently 'reprimanded' in a review on another website which took me to task "why does every story you write boil down to "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANGST" as if being trans is literally worse than being hitler?"
My reply? No, Being trans is being treated like an outcast in your own family like Annie and Kim. Being a teenager in HS and trans and new to the area with no friends and a mother and sister who survived cancer makes you human. Being a sister whose transgender sister died from a pill overdose because nobody but the sister understood her? That's reality for a lot of kids and those who love them....(edited) Sorry you didn't like the story.
BTW, I was very glad to see your blog about your next steps in your journey. Thank you!
Love, Andrea Lena
I can relate
I had a few people tell me that my characters for Battle for Earth weren't likeable. In truth, I was depicting them in a way I felt realistic for people who were suffering from severe PTSD, but unfortunately people really can't see past their own nose and don't really understand unless they've experienced it for themselves. I'm just starting my journey of self-discovery, but even I can see being trans isn't all sunshine and daisies. You take the bad with the good and make the best of it.
And thank you btw, it's been rather surreal, but I'm glad I finally got it off my chest.
Have delightfully devious day,
Humanity
Well, some add the alphabet after the plot, as opposed to the conditions being intrinsic to the character- the why of how they came to be as opposed to a device added to fit the plot? They become interesting because of who they've become.
One of the best lines ever - "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” (Gandalf to Frodo, Fellowship of the Ring) I am really looking forward to how things might even open up a bit more for you as a writer in light of your freedom as a person. I'm delighted that you are getting things "off your chest."
Love, Andrea Lena
Thank you
Thanks, it feels good to finally admitting the truth to myself. My next project, which I'm picking up after four years, has a sub plot that is very relevant to my recent revelation. So it's interesting that I should decide to pick it back up so close to coming out.
Have delightfully devious day,
After Four Years
I forget if you mentioned that earlier. Just a vague, potentially phony recollection. But at least I'm not alone.
One sequel going on six years, and another sequel at perhaps 22 years.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
Dark inspiration
It happens to me often enough to me that I've had to separate my stories into Light and Dark, so a reader that enjoyed a sweet love story doesn't decide to go read a creepy one.
All the time, dear
In my recent work, which is admittedly larger than I had originally intended, my muse did this to me several times.
Bearing in mind that Somewhere Else Entirely was mostly written with me knowing (i) how it began, (ii) how I thought it would end and (iii) not much else, I probably only got what I deserved.
A simple slip introduced a complication that I thought was going to ruin the whole thing: I forgot someone was injured. No matter, I turned spilt milk into omelette (that can't be right, shurely?) and made the subsequent journey much more exciting.
That slip also made me create another character who ended up with a whole story of her own, as yet incomplete. She's going to become really important much later on.
Towards the end of SEE I wondered how I could wrap the story up without it being too lame. Along comes my muse, whistling innocently, and suddenly I have a wayward Princess and a boatload of Vikings to deal with!
Top that? My muse then insisted that I ought to have a F2M in the tale and the backstory for him happened overnight, whether I wanted him or not. Fortunately Maralin and Joth became very useful.
In my current tale said wayward Princess visits Joth and along the way picks up another character - this time planned. What wasn't planned was said character's new maid, who wrote herself into the story without anyone asking. We shall have to see what my muse has planned for Tyra, because I certainly have no idea!
Muses? Can't live without them, certainly. Struggling to live with them, that's for certain!
Penny
PS Apologies for spamming my stories but providing links is easier than explaining...
my muse is one wild chick
I never know what she's gonna send me next
I
I leave it to the readers to determine whether my Muse is to be dreaded. You see, I'm rather perverted -- and I don't apologize.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
Well...
At the very least, I should probably apologize to the Corleone family.
Especially the Corleone family.
From what I've seen, I really don't want them angry at me. ;-)
Rosemary
Hugs!
Rosemary
Crippled
I sometimes think my muse is crippled. Try as I will, I'm not able to delve into the dark side. I planned a trilogy that examined the lives and struggles of three TG kids. The first two wrote themselves. The first one was semi autobiographical, the second just flowed out of my fingertips about a character referenced in the first. The third was supposed to be about a character introduced in the second story. Said character had a Dad that violently apposed the TG in his son; divorced his wife and sued for custody of the son and won. This character just wouldn't gel as I tried to get into the story. I had no point of reference for dad like that... no point of reference point for the angst of the character. As a result, the story never got past the first paragraph.
So, maybe my muse is crippled. Could explain why she takes such long vacations.
a
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
My Star Trek fanfiction took
My Star Trek fanfiction took years literally to finish. I believe it was over a decade. I didn't know where to take it. Finally, it coalesced into a decent story, although I think I could extend the end a bit, and probably smooth out the whole thing. I've learned a lot about writing since then.
Hugs!
Rosemary
Evil Muse
My muse tends to be a bit sadistic. Not so much toward my characters (the harm I inflict upon them is ALL me), but in her fickleness. She will show up, whisper a good plot in my ear, and provide assistance as I churn out 9 or 10 chapters, all the while guiding me like an angel. Then she wanders off, and I have to struggle to get to the end of the story on my own. I can't just quit, because I have readers counting on me to finish.
She should either stick to tossing out random ideas or stay to the final sentence.
"All that we see or seem, Is but a dream within a dream." Edgar Allen Poe