Diana Peach shared a lovely post the other day, about an interesting conversation she had with one of her muses. We have all been invited to share our own experiences…

I wasn’t surprised to find Samuel, my strange muse/mentor sitting in my office that afternoon.

The house was quiet, Anita was having a nap. I had planned to spend time on the WIP, but I already knew I would be wasting my time.

Summoning up the ghost of a smile, I wondered what I was in for this time. He never came just to talk about the weather.

“I’m surprised you can still smile, Jaye, with everything that has been happening in your world. I do not need to ask how you are, or Anita for that matter, as I have been observing you both for weeks.”

I breathe a sigh of relief and slowly sink into my chair. Here, at least, might I find some practical sympathy and advice?

“Now, there’s not much I can do about outside influences, but putting your writing back on track should help, as I have always found this to be a great help in my own life. For a start, your latest work in progress has been on a back burner for far too long. The secret of getting ahead is getting started and I am glad to see that you are making a start. But … your character ARCs need work, and your main character needs an ally. I also think you have the wrong point of view and at least one misplaced character.”

He proceeded to list everything that was wrong with my current WIP. Most of which made perfect sense, as usual. His comments uplifted me, and my depression retreated into the next room. My head bursting with fresh ideas, I just had to write them down.

I stopped writing and looked up to thank him, but he had gone, leaving just the faint memory of pipe tobacco smoke and the memory of his snowy moustache…

When I first started writing, people often spoke about their muses. I didn’t seem to have one or understand what they were going on about. I sometimes heard that Jiminy Cricket voice in my head but didn’t think that was what they meant. Anyway, that voice only ever told me what not to do, so not much help really.

I have had to be stubbornly independent for most of my life, always finding it difficult to accept criticism advice, so assumed I didn’t need a muse and quite happy without one.

So early in 2019, when I wrestled with Silent Payback, Samuel came to see me, and I finally had me a muse of my own. You can read about that meeting here… https://jenanita01.com/2018/11/19/jayes-journal-an-unexpected-visitor/

He only visits when he knows I need sorting out, and I often think of messing up, just for a visit…

© Jaye Marie 2020