WHO/WHERE/WHAT IS YOUR MUSE?

Enquiring minds (mine) want to know. Seriously. Answers on my comment section below, or you can answer on my facebook and I will transfer them to my blog. I want to know. I really do. I suppose the reason why I ask is because it is a complete enigma to me, the Muse that is, especially the nature of it. A few things I know for sure, its unpredictable, I never know when its going to strike, or where or even how. I can not seem to get a handle on its exclusivity, its indiscriminate ways means I can not force it to show me its hand and reveal itself. When it does appear it happens to be at the most inopportune and inconvenient times yet I despair at its elusiveness. My frustration grows when I attempt to seek it out. Only to be reminded that it chooses me not the other way round. Who Where What is your Muse? Sometimes mine is a book I have read that moves me in ways I can not describe yet compels me to continue writing in the hopes that one day I will move my readers in the same way. Sometimes its a song, a lyric, that my heart resonates with, a lost love, a hope for the future, a moment in time remembered with joy. Sometimes its a person, something they do or say, a life changing experience they've had or simply an animated conversation with the local shop keeper punctuated with a killer one liner. Sometimes it's a place, a quiet spot in the garden underneath the protective shade of a tree or a secluded beach where the only sounds are the waves softly whispering stories of old to you. Who Where What is your Muse? right now she escapes my creative grasp and I wait in hope patiently that she remembers me and chooses me again. In the meantime I'll survive on the memory of the last time she gave me a visit and how she made me feel. In awe.

The Writer and Patience

If you are a writer or creative of any form, one of the things/virtues/qualities you need the most is patience! you need to be patient with your craft, waiting for your muse to bring you the inspiration you need to create. If your a writer you need to be patient with the length of time it takes to produce a book, from first draft to re-write say oh 10-15 times, then there is the editing and the copy-editing whilst the publishers go over the last minute changes to details. You need to be patient with your agent who is out there working tirelessly selling your book getting you a deal, you need to be patient with the film producers who promise you the moon and the stars and then quietly slip away to work on other projects or find the money for yours. When you are a writer you have to start thinking deadlines in terms of years not months, and then locate an unending well of patience to draw on whilst sitting waiting for the phone to ring. Now being one who possesses very little, patience that is, (apparently a consequence of being a gen x child under Thatcher rule) I want it done now, no right now, in fact preferably yesterday! oh how the universe has a sly sense of humour. Give me the one thing I love to do the most (write for those of you who are not too sure) but add the one thing that's going to challenge me and is a necessary component in the makeup of the creative, patience. So after much cyclical thinking and a few sleepless nights worrying about option clauses and royalty statements and all of the other things a writer pays an agent for. I have come to the conclusion the only option is to carry on, that is write another book or two! I deem it the only thing that will keep me occupied, stop me from staring at the phone and well ironically bring about the one thing I need. When I write, time has no influence, it all but disappears and what I realise when I put the pen down that unbeknownst to me I have found the very thing I was looking for, patience.

THE CALM AFTER THE VIRAL STORM

My agent, whom we will call 007 has informed me that I must start blogging again and tweeting and increase my social networking presence getting myself ready for the next chapter of my literary life. Who knows what is going to happen? if the past three months is anything to go by, well anything can happen and it usually does! I think this time I will be better equipped to handle it. Except really there is no rule book when it comes to your story becoming front page news and going global. You know you've gone viral when they are blogging about you in China and CNN is at your door wanting to interview you. If you don't believe me just type in the words NAOMI JACOBS in google and somewhere you will see the words amnesia and then it will take you on a journey into the viral underworld of mispelt names, unchecked facts and peoples personal opnions on me (they have made for a hilarious read when I have found myself sometimes bored). Being a self confessed control freak my story going global felt like my worst nightmare come true, but now after a while spent on the post-viral sea of calm I have had time to reflect. The whole chapter of I Woke Up In The Future reaching the far corners of the world, freed me, liberated me from the belief that my story was too unbelievable, my book too self indulgent and the constant anxiety of what others thought of me. Now I really couldnt give a damn, you can write what you want or say what you want, (journalists and critics take note) because all that really matters is what I think of myself, after all it is me I have to live with. When this book comes out and you realise what 007 said after reading it which is 'the amnesia is the tip of the tip of the iceberg' then you will fully understand why I needed to let go of what people think, once and for all. Try it, its really rather good!