A Clearing in the Woods

Hi everyone,

This month we're talking about what it takes to write at our best, the touchstones that awaken the muse and make magic happen. Already there are fabulous rituals listed, everything from longhand to visual imagery, music to stimulating prose. What all these things have in common, is they are way and means in which we call upon the muse.

For me, the must have ingredient for daily creativity, the way I call my muse, is to make room. I clear a space in the woods, and invite my muse to play.

For thousands of years, before the time of Hesiod, writers and artists have honored their muses above all else. These entity embody the wellspring from which our creative inspiration rises. There is an intimate connection between the writer and this 'other worldly force,' one that can be difficult to describe. But I know one thing. If we want to experience the muse, we have to make room for her.

It's like the law of attraction technique of 'making room' for any new thing we want. If it's a new sweetie, for example, before one even shows up, we empty a drawer in the dresser, have extra hangers in the closet, get another nightstand, set another place at the table. Make room, as if they were already here. Same goes for more clients, or work, or dollars in the bank. We fill in the day book, before there are any actual booking, take out a savings account, before there's more than a dollar to put into it, write ya letter of acceptance, before even applying for the new position. The idea is, if we create space for an experience, it's ours.

In my writing, I intentionally clear a space in the woods, every morning, more often than not, before dawn. My first hours of every day are devoted to the writing, before my energy is diluted with phone calls, conversations, daily demands, email, twitter, facebook . . . especially facebook! The phone is off the hook, the cats are fed, the internet is off, the coffee hot. I go to the forest in the depths of my mind, clear a space, and write.

I learned something about 'space clearing' from Stephen King. He said, Some writers in the throws of writer's block think their muses have died, but I don't think that happens often; I think what happens is that the writers themselves sow the edges of their clearing with poison bait to keep their muses away, often without knowing they are doing it (2006).

The antidote is to listen to creative inspiration. Give her soul a body to get around in. And most of all, clear a space, allowing for her presence, eliminating anything that might be seen as a block or hindrance to her joyful participation in the writing process. Three cheers for the muse!

Happy reading and writing! xxxKim

PS If any of you have writing tips or hints to share, or maybe an inspirational book to read, feel free to post in the comments. 

Kim Falconer is a Supernatural Underground author writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy, YA and epic science fantasy novels. She also co-directs Good Vibe Astrology.

You can find out more about Kim at kimfalconer.com or on the 11th House Blog. She posts here at the Supernatural Underground on the 16th of every month. Her latest release is Supernatural Underground: Vampires Gone Wild.