I’ve concluded I’m gifted or cursed (depending on your point of view) with a seasonal muse. I’ve always considered myself somewhat of a winter spirit anyway. Early in the fall when the first crisp wind whistles through the trees, that’s when my energy level soars.But now it’s summer. I’ve got a new manuscript plotted. I’ve wrung out the words through chapter three and it’s just not happening. I already realized a long time ago that the wee hours of the morning brought the best words to the pages. But this is the first time I ever sat back and realized everything else I’ve ever written came together during the fall and winter months.
I’m a firm believer the muse can’t be forced. So for now, the new characters will go quietly to sleep and I’ll tweak a finished manuscript that needs a bit more polish.
And until my beloved seasonal wheel turns to please my muse, I’ll draw strength from the serenity of my own backyard. Enjoy a few pictures of some of our latest visitors and a few of our flowers. I’ve also included some pictures of the ice storm a year ago, just to please the muse. 
Note: Between the squirrels and deer "visiting" the birdfeeders each day, the birds were starving to death. We finally gave up and started putting out ears of dried corn for the birdfeeder bandits. It took me a while to get these shots of the doe while she ate. Thank heavens for a zoom lens.
Posts
Beautiful pictures. Great post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I love your attitude about your muse. I agree that she can't be forced and have been doing much the same thing when mine takes a walk on me (digging out an old MS that needs polish). Also a great time to jump into my TBR pile.
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures! love the doe!
I agree with Mary R beautiful pictures. I'm glad there is someone else out there struggling to string a few words together during summer. I was beginning to feel wierd that my muse appears to hoofed it to Alaska without inviting me along too!
ReplyDeleteI'd be lost without my sanctuary! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics. I've been struggling as well. It's sunny and H-O-T, the kids are off school, vacations...I do better in the fall and winter as well. It won't be long before your muse kicks back into gear ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to throw her a "Welcome Back" party!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! I am a summer person, but the kids and the weather continue to vie for my precious time.
ReplyDeleteYou're not only feeding wildlife, Maeve. The things you do while taking a break from writing help feed the creativity your muse needs to regenerate. Enjoy your sanctuary and know that all will be well. And we get to enjoy the pictures!
ReplyDeleteMAEVE--you have solved my problem! My muse--whoever she is--deserted me with the first hot day and has not returned. I've complained about it on-line in a couple of groups and to friends, so it's been a real problem. Now I know that I, like you, am creative when it's cold out! Now, in Central Texas we don't have beautiful snow--sometimes ice--but yes, all my good writing occurs in the Fall and winter. Whew! Thank you. I thought there was something wrong with me, but my Muse has only gone on vacation. Celia
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures. Like you, I'm more attuned to the cold than the warm. I hate these sticky, hot days and I'm more then ready for fall to some.
ReplyDeleteI think the people who say they love summer are the ones who spend most of the summer in the air-conditioning.
Oh, I am so glad I'm not the only one whose muse wilts a bit in the heat. I love the pictures!
ReplyDeleteThe good news is, I now have less guilt and more time to devour my TBR list.
Maeve, Hi. Lovely pictures. Enjoy the season. A happier muse will surely visit in the fall. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures, Maeve! Sounds like this is a rest period for your brain. A recharging with nature. Fall is my creative time, not summer.
ReplyDeleteMaybe our Muse has been conditioned by all those school years, in which fall is the time your brain has to get back in gear, produce throughout the fall and winter, and then in spring, we start winding down, giving way to other pleasures of the outside, so that by the time summer gets here, our Muse tells us that it's time to take a break and recharge.
Just a thought,
Julie
Your photos are gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteI have a morning muse. The season doesn't matter but she disappears after a certain time and there is no forcing her back until the next day.
As Julie commented, I believe that our muses are trained by our time in school and having our children in school, with summer as a time of renewal and relaxation. I don't do well in the heat and much prefer the other three seasons. Until your post I didn't realize other authors faced similar problems. What a relief to know I'm not alone with this summer-vacationing muse!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maeve.
Gorgeous pics, Maeve. I'm hoping my muse will bring me along when she's on vacation, lol. I try to carry on working without her, because she always abandons me when it's revision time. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel so much better now that I know that I'm not the only one with a "Seasonal Muse". Maybe they're all vacationing together!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures Maeve! Your muse needs to wake up and see what she's missing! Nothing more romantic than a picnic in a field of flowers!
ReplyDelete