Monday, April 5

"Where art thou Muse, that thou forget'st so long..."

Tapping your pen on your paper, looking around for distractions to tempt you? The problem any writer faces is where to begin and i'll be honest, it actually is the hardest thing to do.

Muses are great if you have one, but lets be honest they're hard to find. If you're like me, at present I am museless, but that doesn't mean inspiration has run dry. You just need to start, or even know where to start. What works for me is a single word scribbled and knitted amongst a flurry of other words.

Or even just a phrase can trigger so much. When I was tending to my chilli plant today, as I fingered the compost the following came to my mind:
         "The blistering stench of mold" 
Just a few lines can lead in to something...i'll see what happens with my few lines and keep you updated.

Try these ideas if you're struggling for inspiration...

  • Flick open the dictionary and randomly pick out a word. Then string it together into a little adventure and see where it goes.
  • Stand outside, anywhere, close your eyes and work your senses. What do you hear? What do you feel - the wind on your neck? 
Muse or no muse, just make a start, its doesn't have to be a masterpiece, just put pen to paper, and at least then you've broken the silence. 

Wednesday, January 6

To Read is to write

"She'd read the book twice before, but she liked reading favourite books over and over. Even now, she'd still go through her aged copies of 'The Little Prince' or 'The Wind in the Willows' with pleasure on a rainy afternoon. New books were enjoyable or not, but old books were pillow comfortable."
Adler - Carly's Buck

To get creative, you need to know where to start, and where to start is with your nose in a book. You have to expose yourself to every kind of writing; Shakespeare to Pam Ayres, Hardy to Ambrose...the extent of writing that is out there and so easily available is immense. Tempting titles, fictitious foreigners and captivating chapters...




So wipe the dust from your Library card and head to the place where thought's on cold storage. Open the crusty pages, breath deep the familiar scent and glide an eye along the thumbed lines, creased edges, mirrored margins...and let creativity spark thoughts and wonders.

Monday, January 4

Time to get going...

The hardest thing about writing, is starting. 'coconut deer' has been a flicker of a thought for a year now, but finally she's on her way.

I am not writing to reason, nor reasoning to write.

Just pick up some ink, take a breath....whether its one word, two words, sentences, bepuzzlements, bemusements, installations, exclamations or interpretations...release whatever is in your head.

I'm unpublished, which makes me a questionable no one, but as a writer thats quite liberating - no expectations, I can write to my own end. Make it your goal to write for yourself, for your own enjoyment.

As for the critics, these are your inked meanderings, so the only critic can be yourself.

As for me, i'll guide you through my own exploration of creative writing. Enjoy!