As regular readers know, I'm on the homestretch of the rewrite of my novel. Honestly, the end is so close I can taste it.
I have about five chapters--averaging 5-7 pages--left to write. I know what's coming, having written part of two of them.
But the other day, the muse tried to throw a wrench into the end. I was writing a scene in which five characters are discussing a major revelation and the muse whispers in my ear, "Maybe a sniper should take a shot at them."
I stopped writing and considered the idea.
"Think of the questions a sniper shot will raise," she whispered in a deep throat kind of way.
"But I'm at 90k and counting. I can't possibly add another major glitch at this point."
"How about a fire?"
Because apparently my muse is a homicidal maniac.
"No!" I gave her an internal shout. "I am going to stay the course. I am going to finish this book."
She pouted.
"But," I conceded. "Maybe we can use one of those in the next book."
So, do you ever have to turn off the muse?
LOL, oh about once a day.
ReplyDeleteYour muse was trying to make sure you write a sequel!
Ha!
DeleteThis is funny! I have to shut her up, but never toward the end of the book. When I'm getting to the end, she's just saying, "Come on, dummy, finish this up. I wanna go to the beach!"
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe if I had a nice, warm beach to look forward to...our beaches are windy and rainy and that's on a good day. My east coast friends who've migrated to the NW say we don't really have real beaches.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a Writer's Muse. I agree about the sequel, though, if it works into the story. Mine isn't as trained as yours. Mine keeps saying, "But the villain isn't really so bad. He doesn't have to kill everyone, just act like it." Yes, I can't seem to ramp up any kind of bad stuff.
ReplyDeleteHummmm, could our muses have a 'work' day?
Good luck on finally writing 'The End.'
LOL. Maybe our muses should get together :)
DeleteMy muse talks 24/7, but I usually listen to her because I like the way she thinks.
ReplyDeleteJana, mine pretty much talks 24/7 as well, it's only when she gets insistent with throwing a wrench in my ending that I have trouble going along.
DeleteI have to shut my muse up from time to time - from the beginning to the end of the book...because she always has *these other* ideas. Some are good, some she's just torturing me with and only she knows why. I think the others are right - she's trying to make sure there's a sequel!!
ReplyDeleteHopefully I'll get an editor who screams, "Sequel!" LOL
DeleteI listened to mine once and turned the villian into a psychotic maniac. Publishers thought she was way over the top and has me tone her down. Muse pouted. Now, I tell her to can it from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI think telling mine to quiet down this time was in the best interest of the story--especially considering I wrote about 10 pages today before work. Whoop-whoop.
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