What Do You Do To Restart Your Muse?

Elizabeth Black writes erotica, erotic romance, dark fiction, thrillers, and horror. She lives on the Massachusetts coast with her husband, son, and four cats.

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Until last week, I haven't felt much inspiration to write. This had been going on for months. I can edit and read, but writing was like pulling teeth. Very little of what I wrote pleased me. My muse was too afraid to give me a swift kick in the shorts because she feared I'd just crawl into bed and never get out again. I wasn't depressed as much as I was disillusioned. It wasn't writer's block either. It was worse. I can't write when I feel like I'm wasting my time.

I had to do something. Anything. Just to get out of this funk.

Dwelling on my writing drought only made things worse for me. So I forced myself to get out of my own skin. This worked for me but it may not work for you. 

I ignored the computer as often as I could. I gardened. Baked. Enjoyed bad movies and good food. And then I did two things that helped jump-start me.

I spent every morning at the beach, and I went to a science fiction and fantasy convention. 

Getting out of the apartment and being around other writers and fans helped immensely. Being alone at the beach to clear my head also helped. I began to feel the stirrings of the urge to write. I received word from a very good magazine that it was considering one of my horror stories. That alone lifted my spirits. I wrote a flash fiction fantasy story and submitted to a pro market. 

The convention - Readercon - lifted my spirits in ways being alone couldn't. I met some writer friends in person (one in particular was a delight to hang out with), and made some new ones. I did a book reading, which brought me out of my shell. Since I was there as a fan and not a guest speaker, I could relax and just enjoy myself. And I did. I felt energized in ways I hadn't felt in months.

I also joined a local writer's networking group. My first meeting with this group is in early August. I'm looking forward to meeting like-minded writers. Granted, my erotic and horror fiction may set me apart from the poets and literary writers, but I like a challenge. :)

Now that the convention is over, I'm back to spending my mornings at the beach. That picture above and the one below is of Cape Hedge Beach in Rockport, Massachusetts. That's my beach, LOL. I drink my first cup of coffee here most mornings, and I contemplate my work for the day. It's a great way to begin my day. I clear my head by walking in the waves and feeling the sand between my toes. It helps a great deal. 

This song has been keeping me up as well. It's appropriately entitled "On The Beach", and it's trance music. You won't be able to sit still listening to this song. And it will get you in the mood for the beach.

So what works for you when you're in a creative blue funk? What do you do to get out of it?

If you like New Adult books, you will like my Night Owl Top Pick novel "Don't Call Me Baby", published by Naughty Nights Press. This book is about a young, college-aged woman exploring her sexuality. She's trying to discover what she wants out of life. Catherine Stone is a force to be reckoned with, and she meets her match. Who is the man who can calm her storm? Read the book and find out!

BUY LINKS
Naughty Nights Press
http://tinyurl.com/dont-call-me-baby-nnp

AllRomanceeBooks
http://tinyurl.com/dont-call-me-baby-are

Amazon Kindle - US
http://tinyurl.com/dont-call-me-baby-kindle

Amazon Kindle - UK
http://tinyurl.com/dont-call-me-baby-kindle-uk

Smashwords
http://tinyurl.com/dont-call-me-baby-smashwords

TOP PICK - NIGHT OWL REVIEWS
Hitherandthee at Night Owl Reviews:
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Hitherandthee-reviews-Don-t-Call-Me-Baby-by-Elizabeth-Black

Don’t Call Me Baby is a fast paced, very adventurous romantic novel that will take readers on a roller coaster ride of scorching romantic fun. The main character, Catherine, is a woman after my own heart. She is young and fiercely independent, and beyond gorgeous. She is not wealthy, but she wants to live the good life and is not afraid to go get it. She is also ery sexually liberated, and in the 1980’s this was sometimes a good thing, and sometimes a not so good thing. The story is so blisteringly hot and steamy; it’s difficult to put down. It took me back to a better time, and a time I enjoyed much more. It is a novel I truly enjoyed reading, and will definitely be reading time and time again. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s also not to be missed.

So many men, so little time. Catherine has a long list of men that she sees on a regular basis, and at the top of the list (for the moment, anyway) is Brian. He’s one of her professors at Quincy, and a married man, but that’s never been a problem. But he’s so demanding! So maybe some time apart will be just the trick. A summer theater camp at another local college for local teens should make him realize that Catherine is not his possession, right? That is, until she gets to the camp and meets the other counselors. Ryan is gorgeous, and the rest? Well, what’s a girl on her own to do? Why, enjoy as many as she can! In the meantime, Catherine will come to grips with her mind and her heart, and will figure out what she really wants in life.