• about
    • Awards
  • designer
    • Samples
  • lecturer
  • writer
    • a few novel pages
    • Alternative Beauty
    • Dublin Dating Disasters
    • staycation versus fernweh
    • Curls just want to have fun…
    • Already kissed today?
    • Film Reviews
      • Transformers: Age of Extinction.
      • A Walk Among the Tombstones
      • Before I go to Sleep
      • Begin Again
      • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
      • Earth to Echo
      • Film Reviews 2012
        • Argo
        • Bel Ami, not so seductive…
        • Brave
        • Damsels in Distress
        • Detachment
        • Dr Seuss’ The Lorax
        • Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
        • Frankenweenie
        • Friends with Children
        • Grabbers
        • Jeff who lives at home
        • Joyful Noise
        • Magic Mike
        • Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
        • Skyfall
        • The Amazing Spider-Man
        • The Avengers Assembled
        • The Devil Inside
        • The Lucky One
        • The Raid
        • Think like a Man (Act like a Lady)
      • Film Reviews 2013
        • 2 Guns
        • After Earth
        • Austenland
        • Before Midnight
        • Behind the Candelabra
        • Blue Jasmine
        • Elysium
        • Insidious: Chapter 2
        • Lovelace
        • Mama
        • Man of Steel
        • Monsters University
        • Now You See Me
        • Pain & Gain
        • Playing for Keeps
        • R.I.P.D
        • Rush
        • The Act of Killing
        • The Call
        • The Fifth Estate
        • The Irish Pub
        • The Kings of Summer
        • We’re the Millers
        • What Maisie Knew
        • White House Down
        • World War Z
        • This is 40
        • A Dark Truth
        • Django Unchained
        • Flight
        • Lincoln
        • The Impossible
        • The Paperboy
        • The Sessions
      • Get-On-Up
      • Gone Girl
      • Guardians of the Galaxy: dance and quip their way out of any danger hurdling towards them
      • Serena
      • Sex Tape
      • Sex Tape – a slapstick comedy
      • The Book of Life
      • The Calling
      • The Equalizer
      • The Expendables 3
      • The Maze Runner
      • Think Like a Man Too
      • This is where I leave you – better left unwatched
      • Film Preview 2013

jensinewall

~ writer, designer, creative thinker

jensinewall

Daily Archives: July 23, 2014

getting to know your muse

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by jensine in writing

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Calliope, finding the muse, greek mythology, muses, On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft, photography, quotes, Stephen King, writing

I have been rereading Stephen King’s  “On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft” , a wonderful book filled with lots of tips and tricks of the writing trade. But in essence the main point he makes, is that writing is work, you have to sit down and put the hours in, hone your skills, learn and read  as much as you can and then let your muse dust it with a little bit of magic.

Traditionally muses are seen as women dancing around in Greek garbs, floating figments, light beings, the personification of knowledge and the arts. There are nine of them, each one a daughter of Zeus (father of the Gods and men) and Mnemosyne (memory personified), and every single one of them has a specific area of expertise (see list below). As a writer you can expect a visit from the sweetly speaking Calliope, or as a poet maybe from the lovely Erato.

In our modern day muses seem to have changed, adapted, multiplied. King says his is a dude, a basement guy who smokes, grunts and ignores him while he does all the heavy lifting, but delivers the needed inspiration. This made me think about who my muse is, is she even a she? As I sit and type I try to catch a glimpse of her (yes, I think she is a she), try to get to know her a little bit. After all if I know who I am dealing with, maybe I can lure her into action a little more often.

So today my mission is to try and get to know my muse, figure out what makes her leap up from her swing (I believe she has a playful nature) and dance into action. And hopefully somewhere along the way a little bit of her muse-magic will spill onto my fingers and into my story.

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 are talking about here, but just another job like laying a pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you’re going to be from nine ’til noon, or from seven ’till three. If he does, I assure you that sooner or later he’ll start showing up.

Stephen King

A statue of Calliope in the Vatican

A statue of Calliope in the Vatican

Calliope: the muse of epic poetry, depicted holding a writing tablet, roll of paper or even a book.

Clio: the muse of history, mostly holds a scroll

Erato: the muse of lyrical poetry, mostly plays a lye like instrument

Euterpe was the muse of music, plays a flute like instrument

Melpomene: the muse of tragedy holds the mask of tragedy

Polyhymnia: the muse of hymns and sacred poetry, has a veil

Terpsichore: the muse of dance, also holds a lyre but also is depicted in a dance like stance

Thalia: the muse of comedy, holds the mask of comedy

Urania:he muse of astronomy, holds a globe and compass.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,681 other subscribers

Shortlisted for Blog Awards Ireland 2012

Me and my thoughts

July 2014
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Oct   Aug »

Quote

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Past but not forgotten

  • back in Belfast
  • waiting in Dublin
  • a gentle gesture
  • Easter auntie duties
  • sunny Sunday afternoon
  • lost hour
  • Weekly Photo Challenge: It’s easy being green

Reeling through the months

  • May 2017 (1)
  • March 2017 (17)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (1)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (13)
  • October 2016 (30)
  • September 2016 (10)
  • July 2016 (7)
  • June 2016 (18)
  • May 2016 (21)
  • April 2016 (12)
  • March 2016 (25)
  • February 2016 (10)
  • January 2016 (16)
  • December 2015 (13)
  • November 2015 (14)
  • October 2015 (15)
  • September 2015 (19)
  • August 2015 (19)
  • July 2015 (13)
  • June 2015 (17)
  • May 2015 (22)
  • April 2015 (22)
  • March 2015 (20)
  • February 2015 (16)
  • January 2015 (14)
  • November 2014 (12)
  • October 2014 (27)
  • September 2014 (35)
  • August 2014 (25)
  • July 2014 (28)
  • October 2013 (14)
  • September 2013 (22)
  • August 2013 (21)
  • July 2013 (25)
  • June 2013 (23)
  • April 2013 (16)
  • March 2013 (10)
  • February 2013 (22)
  • January 2013 (36)
  • December 2012 (3)
  • November 2012 (13)
  • October 2012 (27)
  • August 2012 (11)
  • July 2012 (33)
  • June 2012 (30)
  • May 2012 (28)
  • April 2012 (35)
  • March 2012 (14)
  • September 2011 (1)

Come and read

All my thoughts

The contents of this blog is copyright © to me Jensine-Bethna Wall and although I am happy for you to post, re-post or reference my thoughts, ramblings and miscellaneous outpourings, to do so you must always make it clear that the content belongs to me and me alone and I have the right to be identified as the author, this is only for non-commercial purposes If the content of this blog is to be published or broadcasted by any for of media for commercial purposes I do maintain the right to be contacted and asked for permission, in some cases even payment. Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording will constitute an infringement of copyright. I grant permission to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending is prohibited, otherwise all rights reserved.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • jensinewall
    • Join 1,246 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • jensinewall
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...