Finding Inspiration: Writing When My Muse is on Break

The infamous blank page.

We all know this scene too well. Staring at an empty page, maybe you can’t seem to put anything down, or after you do you just end up erasing it all. But no matter what you do, the brilliance just isn’t coming. But then, only on occasion, there is that one moment. It’s the same every time, my heart picks up, and my mind begins to filter through thoughts at an accelerated pace. A light bulb coming on is too subtle of a comparison, more like I am struck by lightning. That is the moment when I am inspired and an idea is born; whether it’s a great one or not. You probably know exactly what I mean, it’s as if a dam breaks in your head and everything comes rushing to you at once.

I have always loved to write, but I have never really done anything with it until now. Always fearful of a negative reception and that I would realize that I am only sub-par, but mainly because I am a chronic “non-finisher.” (I am fully aware that’s not a real word, but it just seemed to be so perfectly descriptive.) After my initial moment of inspiration and clarity, I am utterly lost. I have left many characters waiting in an indefinite purgatory, pleading for their stories to be told. But after that glorious defining moment, and  after I have used every ounce of it, I just stare at the page. I desperately want to weave the beautifully delicate thread of story, but I just can’t. Whether it’s because I simply can’t think of what comes next, or I deem all of my subsequent ideas unworthy, I have yet to finish more than a short story.

The past several days, like many others, my muse has been on sabbatical. She is a finicky thing, that is so beautiful yet illusive. At one point I believed I had to have her to write, well to write anything of worth. But now I am seeing that while she  may give me wonderful ideas, it is my responsibility to follow through with them. So while she is out, I am resolving not to stop writing; Even if I am writing about her absence. Because while I know that writing coincides with creativity and inspiration, I also have come to realize that writing is a discipline.

Here are a few things that I have found to help free me when writer’s block has locked my mind away:

1. Write about something. Anything, really. Describe an object that you find particularly beautiful or atrocious. Write about your day or do a character profile of someone you know, and even if you don’t end up with anything Earth shattering, at the very least you have worked on honing your skills.
2. Play a character. Inspiration often comes from experience, so go have a new one. If you are usually low-key and sporty, get dolled up. If you are the indoorsy type, go have an outdoor adventure.
3. Do something you enjoy. Even if it doesn’t lure your muse back, it will help to restore your mind, and frustration is usually at the center of writer’s block.
4. Read someone else’s work. I am usually never more inspired than after I have read something which truly intrigues me. (Personally, I love to visit the local library. There is just something truly magical about having so many great works in one place.)

These are just a few of the things that I have found work for me when I am feeling frustrated. If any of you have methods you use when you have writer’s block, I would love to hear them!

Peace, Love, & Literature.

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