Don’t wait for your Muse. Avoid precious rituals. Get into the daily habit of doing the work.

Don’t wait for your Muse. Avoid precious rituals. Get into the daily habit of doing the work.

In case any of you are wondering, most of the advice I post for fellow writers and illustrators is a reminder to myself as well. 

Last time I posted this advice, I had someone complain, saying that rituals can be a good thing, can help a writer ease into the Zone.

My advice? DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. And if precious rituals DO always work for you and don't prevent you from writing if you can't always find exactly the right pen or lighting etc., then go for it.

Good luck with your writing this week, all!

Comic: Unhappy Muse

Don’t wait for your Muse. Be there every day & eventually she'll start showing up.

I love what Stephen King said about not waiting for one's Muse to show up.

“Don't wait for the muse. As I've said, he's a hardheaded guy who's not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn't the Ouija board or the spirit-world we're talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you're going to be every day from nine 'til noon. or seven 'til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he'll start showing up.”

- Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

The comic above is also available as an Unhappy Muse greeting card in my online card shop.

Comic: Personal Muse

And speaking of inspiration, don't forget to check out the previous post from Paper Lantern Lit and former HarperCollins/Razorbill editor Lexa Hillyer about how to establish the right wants and needs of your characters.