Ways to Educate and Motivate the Creative Muse within You

"Ways to Educate and Motivate the Creative Muse within You" by Joan Y. Edwards

Here are ways to educate and motivate the creative muse within you.

1. Experience Life, attend workshops, take courses.

a. Bake cakes.
b. Go on a tour of an Historic house.
c. Attend a weekend workshop.
d. Volunteer at a homeless shelter for children.
e. Take a writing course at a community college or other learning institution.

2. Read three books about the craft of writing.

a. Darcy Pattison: Novel Metamorphosis
b. Donald Maass: The Fire in Fiction
c. Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel
d. Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
e. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel
f. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Novel, II
g. James N. Frey How to Write a Damn Good Mystery
h. James N. Frey The Key: How to Write Damn Good Fiction Using the Power of Myth
i. Karl Iglesias: Writing for Emotional Impact
j. Margaret Lucke: Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories
k. Noah Lukeman: The First Five Pages
l. Jordan E. Rosenfeld: Make a Scene
m. Katharine Sands: Making the Perfect Pitch
n. Remni Browne and Dave King: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

3. Read three best-selling books in your favorite genre.

4. Watch three movies in the genre you write.

5. Study the websites of three best-selling authors.

Here is a list of many to choose from or search for your favorite online.

Best-Selling Authors for Children

James Patterson http://www.jamespatterson.com/

Rick Riordan http://www.rickriordan.com/

Jeff Kinney http://www.wimpykid.com/

Victoria Kann http://www.ilikeart.com/

Jane O'Connor http://www.fancynancyworld.com/

Suzanne Collins http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

J. K. Rowling http://www.jkrowling.com/

Best-Selling Authors for Adults

John Grisham http://www.jgrisham.com/

George R. R. Martin http://georgerrmartin.com/

Catherine Coulter http://www.catherinecoulter.com/

Janet Evanovich http://www.evanovich.com/

6. Study and find three matching three publishers and agents for your manuscripts:

a. Research publishers and agents online. Find ones that match what you write.

b. Visit the Preditors & Editors website to check out the editors and agents you've chosen. It'll tell you if they are legitimate or warn you about them. http://pred-ed.com/

c. Check the submission guidelines of the websites of the publishers and agents of three of your favorite books.

7. Write.

Write. Write. Write.

I hope you find the right experiences to educate and motivate the creative muse in you.

Thank you for reading my article. Please leave a comment. I value your opinion.