Guest Author: HEATHER REID

Today I'd like to welcome fellow Month9Books author Heather Reid to my blog.
I'm really looking forward to reading this one!
Isn't the cover amazing?

Now, over to Heather...

Tips For Reviving A Muse

My muse and I are one. Words flow so fast I can hardly keep up. I start with nothing, white space, a letter, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, page, page, chapter after chapter filled with new scenes emerge. My characters talk non-stop, waking me from my slumber. They constantly bug me, fighting for my attention. My dreams are filled with new ideas. I ignore the laundry, the dishes, my friends and family. I spend days living on toast, M&M’s, and cups of tea. I ride the big wave, the Kahuna of creativity. Manic, I’ve reached that Zen state of mind, my muse and I are on a writing high. The planets are aligned and together, we’re unstoppable. No fear, nothing but the words, and the words are good. A chapter, chapter, page, a page…a paragraph… a sentence… a word… a letter…a letter…

a letter…

white space…

nothing….

nothing…

I look over in the corner. My muse, Elarin, has slumped to the floor, listless, lifeless.

Flatlined.

I want to cry. I need Elarin to help me finish the rest of Pretty Dark Nothing 2. Here are a few things I do to help revive her.

1)      Take a walk: My muse, Elarin, loves the outdoors. Fresh air and a little exercise can get the endorphins up and the creative juices flowing again. I like to take a pen and notebook with me in case inspiration strikes. I write short scene about someone or something I’ve seen on my adventure and she starts to perk up a bit.

2)      Paint a picture: Elarin loves when I paint. I’m not great at it, but that’s not the point. It’s not for anyone else, it’s for me. I love putting colour to canvass. I don’t think while I paint. I let the colour flow and in not thinking, the sparks of creativity will reignite my muse.  It doesn’t have to be painting. You could try a new recipe, photograph something interesting, make a collage, scrapbook, sing, knit, dance, make some jewellery, or go to an acting class. Being creative in something else helps my muse recover quicker, maybe it would help yours too.

3)      Get inspired by other creative people: Elarin likes to hang out with other muses. Sometimes I take her to the art museum. We write stories about a scene or a mood from an inspiring work. I also make it a point to talk to other writers, musicians, artists about what inspires them. Muses can gain energy from one another.

4)      Mood music: Right now, I know Elarin is a sucker for Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Elbow, Coldplay, Plumb, The Lord of the Rings and the Twilight soundtrack. This changes depending on what we’re working on. She also perks up when I listen to music that my characters would like when I sit down to write. It puts me in the zone and helps me get reconnected to their voice. I also choose music that fits the mood of the scene I’m working on.

5)      Unplug: All muses can get tired of the pressure. Sometimes I have to step away from writing for a few days and let her relax.

6)      Don’t beat myself up: I didn’t kill her. It happens to everyone. Just breathe.

7)       Write even if she doesn’t want to: Don’t give up: Don’t stop, even if it’s hard, even if she’s taking longer than usual to revive or she’s being lazy. Even if I feel the words  seem crap and I can’t do it without her. Don’t give up! She hates a quitter.

8)      Elarin must have chocolate to survive. Wave a peice under her nose and she starts to regain some colour. I must keep a stash with me at all times. 

How do you revive your muse?

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Quinn hadn’t slept a full night in twenty-three days. She’s terrified of the demons that stalk her dreams, pull her into a deep dark nothingness and whisper hauntingly of her death. Exhausted, Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, and Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. If Quinn can learn to trust her heart, and Aaron can discover the secret locked away in his fragile memory, their combined power could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

Bio:

Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and dreaming up new novels to write.

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Dark-Nothing-Heather-Reid/dp/0985327812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368808104&sr=8-1&keywords=pretty+dark+nothing

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pretty-dark-nothing-heather-reid/1109686541?ean=9780985327811

Twitter: @HeatherLReid

Website: www.heatherlreid.com

Thanks for stopping by, Heather.
Wishing you many sales!