Finding my Muse (A Guest Post by Jamie B. Musings)

First off, I want to thank Angela for letting me guest on her blog today. You are awesome, and it’s much appreciated. It’s always great to get the opportunity to stop by a new blog and meet everyone.

So, Angela was looking for writers to talk about their writing processes. I wish I could say I have some well thought out process, but I don’t. I’m a very indecisive person (hazards of being a Gemini), and am prone to having a hard time with the idea part. There are a few vital ingredients, however, that go into any story I write. I must warn you, I am a major pantser, so there will be no insight into outlining and story planning here…

1)      The computer. I absolutely must be able to write on my word processor. I have the worst time trying to hand write stuff; my hands just can’t keep up with me head.  Also, I need to be able to open up a game of solitaire here and there. Mindless fun helps me get focused when I’m having a hard time getting words out.

2)      Music is my lifeline and helps me get into the right mindset. Sometimes I even put on the songs I’ve chosen for a project and sing along with them for awhile, letting myself get lost in the emotions in the lyrics. That helped so much with my latest project.

3)      Getting out of the house is also a huge help. When I’m home, the furry brats are demanding attention or I’m getting twitchy because there is a mess somewhere to clean up. That is really not conducive to a good writing session, so sometimes I am forced to head to the library or Starbucks. Those green tea frapps are great fuel for my muse!

4)      Deadlines are also important. Maybe it’s the journalist in me, but just thinking about missing a deadline makes me sick. There is nothing like knowing my story is due the next day to get the word count up.

So what is your writing process like? Are you a pantser like me, or do you need to outline? What’s your favorite writing retreat? Comment and let’s chat about it.

JamieBMusings is a music addict, book lover, pet servant & NaNoWriMo survivor. When she's not busy writing posts for CultureShock, she's taking pictures for her new obsession (That Photo Blog) and spending time with her husband and pets. Her first book, The Life and Times of No One in Particular, was released in May 2012.


http://www.jamiebmusings.webs.com

---