I Got a feeling

            As a writer, I constantly have about 1,000 thoughts going through my head. Some of them I brush away and never come back to, many, however, get stuck in some small corner or dark spot in my mind, and there they fester and grow, until one day I find myself absorbed by the thought. It is at that point that I know I have a new story idea. 
           Often in this blog, website, or other social media, I refer to this as my muse: The inspiration for being a writer and thinking of new ideas. But how does one get in contact with their muse? I once read that there is no such thing as writer's block, only lazy writers. The person was making an argument that if you are waiting for your muse to give you what to write, then you are not disciplined enough as a writer to complete the task at hand when she (the muse) is off resting. It is one thing to be inspired by her, and an entirely different case to rely on her for all your writing.
                I whole heartily agree with that author, a Muse is a source of inspiration and thought for writing, not the drive to write. Writer's block and lack of motivation does not equate to not having ideas. A skilled writer should have at the point of starting their story have plotted, researched, and gotten ready everything they needed for the writing process. By the time pen goes to paper and word count is starting to be counted, the Majority of the Muse's job is over. The Ideas have been thought, and the passion has grown.
              Of course, I can think of many who would argue with that statement. They would say, "Well I still need inspiration while I am writing. I need to love the characters. I need to see and smell the flowers." I would agree, but not seeing that for 1,000 words, is not going to stop you from writing an amazing story. My generation, I feel thinks that if something is not easy, or if they stop "feeling it," is she slips away for a few scenes while they write. That they need to give up or stop writing until she comes back.
                The problem with this is she may not come back, or if she does, she may bring with her something new, that does not fit in with your current work. She may have been spending time in France, or with dragons and comes back now looking completely different. Who can blame her for it, that is who she is, after all, it is her very nature to change to bring about new inspiration. 
                And so here I come to the point of this blog: Ways that I keep my inspiration and reconnect the passion and love when my Muse is off. 
Give her a form-  On my desk are things that I consider my Muse. They are not in any way connect to the book I am currently writing. They are instead pictures (and action figures) of things that inspire me period. When I am having a moment (call it writer's block) I look at them, I think about what it would be like to be in the picture, or about what that person would be doing today. Because they are things I enjoy, and love, I become inspired. It is much easier to become inspired, then to get inspired about something particular (on which there is often a stress of a deadline). Use that inspiration to fuel moving on.Write a part you want to be at- I have often done this when I was really stuck. I hate middle work (aka editing). So often what I do when I am stuck in the most uninspiring work ever, is take a break and write a scene that I have been waiting for. For me, it is often the ending of the book, or where I introduce a new character. It may seem counter-productive to write the part you want to while not doing the part you dread. But it can actually help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. 
Touch and smell something- I love to touch things. For me, different textures invoke different thoughts. Often when I am stuck on writing, I will go for a walk or change that area I am in. This may be as simple as lighting a candle, opening a window, changing my clothing, turning different lights on. The idea behind it is the change in the mood of the room may ignite different thoughts. I have thought things while smelling a pine tree that I would never have thought if I was smelling fresh laundry. Use your senses, we write about them after all, so why not use them to help us push onward. 
 
Talk to her- This one I would advise not doing in a public place. Talk to your Muse. Granted she is just an idea, but think out loud what it is you wanted to do in the first place. What was the first thought she gave you, where did you take it from there, where are you going? Just like talking to a friend about an upcoming vacation, talk about your story, this often gets me excited about it again. 
       These, of course, are four ways that I reconnect with the passion and inspiration that the Muse first gave me. Most of the time it is enough to get me through the hard times when I don't want to write when the pressure is on. I hope that you too find them helpful, whether you are writing fiction or an essay for school. There is a muse for all projects, and when she wonders off, it doesn't mean we have to wait for her… after all, that's not what she would want anyways.