Attack of the Muse!

For months now I have had a block where it came to story writing. On very few occasions something would click and I would have a lightbulb moment, though these occasions have been sparse. But last night, while the combat about attitudes to gladiators and how in the hell am I going to write this essay fought away in my head, and as I watched BBC's Worlds of Fantasy programme, my Muse appeared and slapped me in my creative face with a wet kipper.

Okay, so I have been able to hash out a few poems, but for stories, short or otherwise, my Muse has been giving me the bird. I've obviously not been letting it play enough. So, last night, to grab my attention, it put my brain through the wringer. Ideas started flowing for two of the novel length stories I have been stuck on with the possibility for some deeper characterisation for one of them. Not only that, but a short story that has been floating just out of reach, shone brightly with the full plot outline scribbled in super-shiny letters so I couldn't ignore it.

Why now? Not that I am complaining, but why now? I am too caught up in researching gladiators and the colosseum to take the time out to write my stories. I have had to compromise by writing the ideas for the novels down, and by making a loose outline of the short story. At least now I know my brain hasn't completely dried up!

Also, this is a very interesting article about living as a creative type called "1,000 True Fans" by Kevin Kelly. Check it out, it makes for some very thought-provoking reading.