One of the wonderful things about being a writer is having a vivid imagination.  I definitely have one of those—the reason why I can’t watch gory horror movies.  I know the blood and ick are fake, but part of me just can’t shake the eerie realism of the scenes and the fact that the scenario could (remotely) possibly happen to someone I know.

My imagination nudged to the fore when I was a child and loved to read.  Words on the page transformed into detailed pictures in my mind.  When sea-faring characters in a book I was reading were threatened by a deadly storm, I saw huge waves lashing over the plank floor, smelled the briny air, felt the wet roughness of the ropes in my characters’ hands as they tried to control the sails.  When I was reading, I was there!

This sense of being transported into the heart of a story happens when I write.  When my creative muse is brimming with ideas, I slip into a place in my mind where I see the hero and heroine as though they are real people, as well as their surroundings.  The scene unfolds for me like part of a movie.  Sometimes I can barely type fast enough, because the snappy banter and actions are flowing so smoothly.  Moments like this are a gift, because the finished work often requires very little rewriting.

More times than not, though, my muse isn’t quite as cooperative.  Sometimes it resists because I’m tired or I have other commitments that day that are sapping my concentration.  Sometimes, I’m not sure on a gut level whether the scene is “right” and my muse picks up on that uncertainty.  I’ve learned a few things, though, to help keep my finicky muse on track:

1)  Don’t write when you are hungry.
I’ve tried to do this on several occasions, and it doesn’t work.  If it’s near, say, lunch time, your muse will want to do anything but settle down to write.  While you swear under your breath and try to pull words out of your mind that seems as dense as ice cream, you will have to listen to your stomach rumble over and over.  Moreover, every one of your characters will be thinking about what they ate earlier that day, the yummy dishes they smell cooking, or when the next meal will be served.  It’s far better to leave your computer, eat lunch, and come back later for a fresh start.

2)  Jump Start a Lazy Muse.
If you return to your computer after a hearty lunch and your muse still isn’t cooperating, pull out a few good reference books and thumb through the pages. Since my historical romances are set in the Middle Ages, I have an assortment of tomes on topics ranging from armor and medieval life to cooking.  I’ve also visited a number of castles and taken photos, which I review now and again.  One of my vivid memories, of a dungeon where chained prisoners had scrawled messages into the stone wall, inspired the tower dungeon in my upcoming May release A Knight’s Persuasion.

3)  Set a daily word count and write every day.
We’ve all heard this at writing conferences, and it is excellent advice.  Writing consistently is the best way to train your muse.  When you sit at the computer, your muse thinks, “Okay, it’s time to get to work.”  Also, by rereading the last scene you wrote, you can tap into the excitement of where you left off in your story, making it easier to plunge back into it.

4)  Try Writing to Music.  Or Not. 
Some authors claim they write better while listening to background music that relates somehow to their book’s subject matter.  There are wonderful CD’s of medieval music available, and I admit, I am tempted sometimes to try writing with music playing.  But I have found that I do my best work when my husband and daughter are out, the kitties are snoozing, and the house is super quiet.

5)  Reward your muse.
Had a great writing day?  Celebrate with well-deserved time away from your computer doing something fun: a walk in the sunshine; an hour browsing the bookstore; a visit to the local art museum.  Even a muse needs a break now and again.

Do you have a finicky muse?  What are some of the things you do to nurture your creativity?