Finding my Muse

I admit it...for the past 6 months I have had serious writer's block. If you haven't heard, or read, I'm an "aspiring" author. I have self-published one book, I have another book written and trying to sell it to an agent, and I have 2 more books that I started. One of the partial books is a sequel to the non-published completed novel.

I felt bad for a while because I left my characters scattered in the wind. Some of them were left walking around in a forest for six months. That's no way to treat a character. Sure, authors write horrible things that happen to their characters, but at least they have purpose for the storyline. Mine were just there...their world ended when I got a bad case of the Blocks.

Recently I went to an Irish Pub, just to get out of the house. I sat down, ordered a drink. And then something hit me. Stories in my head again started to flow. I'm not sure exactly what caused it. Maybe it was the energy of the crowd, maybe it was the musicians on the stage...maybe it was a combination of the two. Or maybe it was the current personal crises going on that shattered the block. Whatever it was, in an instant, it was gone. Words started to pour out of me once again, and it was a fantastic feeling.

Here is where my tale of woe begins...frankly I'm going to look a little weird if every Friday I go to this place and write furiously as people are drinking and dancing around me. Also, I am going to appear stalker-like to the poor people on the stage. And this place is not close to my house, nor it is cheap.

So now I am left with the dilemma of touring local bars and dance clubs with pen and paper in hand, searching for my next place that can be my muse. I'm extremely curious if each place evoke different storylines. That alone is intriguing enough to start my quest.

Until them, I'm going to be at Fado's in Chicago on Friday nights. It is my one night during the week I am giving myself that I like to consider my "mental health" night. I need one of those because of the whole "personal crises" thing. Without it, I might be left sitting in a corner, cutting out paper dollies, and NOT writing.

If you happen to go out to Fado's, and you see this woman at a table or at a bar, furiously writing on scraps of people...that's probably me.

If there is a Guinness by my side, along with a water and a coffee...it's definitely me. Just smile and nod, knowing this is my best muse in town...at least for now.