FINDING YOUR MUSE DURING A BLIZZARD

By Karen Cino



We just got over one of the worst blizzards in years. I don’t know about you, but the streets of Staten Island were left behind. While I sit here, surfing around the internet, I decided it was time to use the blizzard as a stepping stone in getting back on track with my writing.

Now I know that I’m not alone with the following story. I know many of you are as guilty as I, blaming the Holidays for the lack of writing. My excuses not to write—blaming it on the Christmas preparations, including shopping and baking the past few weeks—are now over. I made a promise to myself that I would continue editing my completed manuscript and start plotting out something new. And I did. I came home Christmas Night with a whole new perspective. I pulled out my red binder, actually opened it up and began working on a few pages. I was on a roll. Then, the Blizzard of 2010 came into play. Aw…an excuse not to do work again.

I closed the binder, put on layers of clothes and played with my screen door until I got outside. Hmm, for some reason, I didn’t feel like being outside and tackling the snow. I wanted to be upstairs, sitting in my chair in a warm house with my shorts and tank top on. For some apparent reason my characters were calling me.

Quickly, I made my way back into the house. I was soaked up to my waist after walking through snowdrifts. After soaking in a hot bath—defrosting not only my body, but my mind—I was ready to settle down and not let anything distract me from my writing again.

I set the scene.  I removed my red binder from my tote bag, grabbed a pen and got myself comfortable and began. Funny thing, once I started, the time flew by and I was able to do revisions on two chapters. (And be satisfied with the changes.)

Sometimes it takes the smallest distraction to keep us from our writing, and sometimes it takes a blizzard and the clean up event afterwards, to keep us focused on our writing. This time, I’d rather do those dreaded revisions than shovel thirty inches of snow.♥



Karen Cino is President of the RWA New York City Chapter. She keeps her muse alive by walking every morning down at the South Beach Boardwalk in Staten Island (but not during a blizzard). Currently, she is shopping for a home for her novels, ROSES and MYSTICAL WONDERS, and is working on her next novel.