Are you inspired because the muse strikes, and I don't mean with writing. I'm talking about you have a project to do and you feel inspired to do something about it, in a feel-good, want-to-do sort of way?

 Or do you work by the adage--some impending deadline is approaching and I HAVE to resort to doing that now, or else...

 Moss on the brick--this reminds me of being in Scotland. :)

When I write a love scene in a book, I have to be inspired. I don't mean sitting in a bathtub of lilac bubble bath with candles lit along the edge, and soft music playing, or anything. I mean, I have to "feel" the characters in the scene. I have to be in love with them as they are with each other. I have to attempt to make it different than any other I've written in all the books I've created. Because for each set of characters it will be different based on their situation and personalities in THIS book. I need MUSE inspiration for this. But sometimes, if the muse won't cooperate, I'll have to force myself to get with the program. And this can be getting myself into the mindset of the scene and just plain writing it, not with any outside encouragement, just looking within.

In the real world, I have two major projects hanging over my head. First, I had to have a pipe tying from the bathtub to the septic system and the plumber left a big mess. We have black clay here. So it's hard as rock when it's dry and cracks like an earthquake ran through it during droughts. But when it's wet, it sticks to you like clay. I have it on my shoes now and if I leave them to dry, I can take a hammer and break it off later. :) It's awful stuff! He left huge chunks of of it lying all over. No way could I stuff it around the pipes. It doesn't break up. It was all wet so stuck together like glue. And even if it's dried out, it's then like cement. And each huge chunk is HEAVY.

 Tiny leaves appearing on variegated privet--signs of spring! 

So the plumber said to put two inches of gravel under the pipe, or sand, and then cover with dirt. I had a lot of sand in buckets, didn't have enough gravel, and that's really better, so finally ran into town to get it, and a bag of bark mulch. That hadn't anything to do with the pipes...and I almost got plants and....too easily distracted by what I find fun, from what I HAD to do. So I ignored the desperate plea of the plants to take them home and plant them in my garden and came home with the gravel.  The mulch is to help prevent weeds and grass from taking hold. I need more!

Why did I try to get it done yesterday? Warm day, high winds, but today it's supposed to storm and all week it's going to be cold. So impending doom. One good day to do it and that was it.

The second thing is taxes. Worked to organize it all day (after working on the plumbing issue), and made some headway. That's another one of those impending doom scenarios.

The muse had actually struck in early Jan and I wanted to do it then--but didn't have enough of my statements to do it. So sometimes even with disagreeable things, the muse can strike.

Now it's much more of a case of impending doom. I had more time than I thought and now with some unexpected stuff, my time to turn it in will be cut way shorter than I had allowed for.

Impending doom. LOL

What about you? Do you work on disagreeable stuff because it makes you feel good to get it done and then it's more of a muse-inspired cause? Or do you wait and get to it when the clock is ticking, the deadline looming, and you know it's got to be done or pay the price???

Sometimes I think The Dark Fae hide my muse...

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Have a terrific Monday!!

Storms are hitting us today. 

 Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com