Muse Food – Who Is Watching?
We saw these two little ‘guys’ intently watching some action on the pier.
(smiles)
Who is watching your hero’s or heroine’s actions? Why are they watching? What will these observers do with the information they gain? How will being watched change your character’s future?
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Muse Food – Bridges And Transitions
Transition scenes are, admittedly, my least favorite scenes to write. I have to get my character from one point to the other and I’m usually in a rush to get to that second point. That’s the scene I really want to write.
But transition scenes are like bridges.
And we all know bridges can be super exciting. The bridge over a steep drop could be holding on by a flimsy and rapidly fraying strand of rope. The bridge could be guarded by a troll who demands a price the hero/heroine isn’t willing to pay. The enemy could be waiting at the end of it. A giant eagle could swoop down and carry our hero/heroine off while they are attempting to cross the bridge.
Make that transition scene interesting, my friends.
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Muse Food – Slowing It Down
When I make a soup broth, I cook the ingredients in a crockpot for 8 hours or so. It is a slow process but, stars, it is SO good.
When I’m writing a scene in which I want the reader to cry while reading it, I slow that scene down. Tremendously. I have to give the reader time to sit with their emotions, to then express them.
The story I’m telling now (the Super Secret Project) is also slowly being told. It is a BIG story and it requires a lot of words and time. And that’s okay. It is what the story needs.
Don’t be afraid to slow things down. Some masterpieces need AND deserve time.
(smiles)
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Muse Food – Hidden From Immediate View
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted this beautiful flower hidden from our immediate view by lush green leaves. We had to crouch to see it.
Is there something your main character notices that no one else does because it is hidden from immediate view or semi-concealed?
This could be their love interest’s true character or an explosive device placed by an enemy or a safe concealed behind a painting or something else.
(This happens quite often in murder mysteries. – grins)
How does that hidden something change your character’s future?
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Muse Food – Abandoned Boats
This abandoned boat was spotted far from shore and far from any buildings.
How did it get there?
Did a sea god pick it up with his giant hand and relocate it?
Did a massive wave sweep it far inland?
Did a group of drunken teens steal it from their teacher’s yard and hide it in the woods?
We don’t know. But we DO know it has a story.
What do you think the story is?
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Muse Food – Mechanical Horses And Other Surprises
I think my cyborgs would love this mechanical horse. They would definitely try to ride her. (grins)
I love it because it is a surprise. Of all the things to create out of gears and metal, I would have never expected a horse.
Because horses are purely organic. And they are a transportation means from older times. The purely mechanical car replaced them for many people.
Give your readers a happy surprise or two in your stories also. Give them that wonder.
(smiles)
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Muse Food – Landslides And Foreshadowing
Almost everything in life can be ‘predicted’ or foreshadowed at least a little bit.
There are often rumblings before a landslide. There might be near misses in a dangerous intersection before a fatal crash happens. A job seeker has a third interview before they’re offered a job. A condom breaks months before a ‘surprise’ pregnancy.
When crafting your story, consider putting in subtle foreshadowing.
Give readers who pay attention to details the absolute joy of guessing the next ‘surprise’ twist correctly. And other readers who guessed incorrectly, the ‘Duh. I should have seen that coming.’ experience that takes your story to the next level of awesomeness for them.
(smiles)
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Muse Food – Respect For The Land
I read a quote recently that said you can determine who are the invaders and who are the locals by how they treat the land.
Invaders are careless with the land. They destroy it. Forever
Locals are careful with the land. They try their best not to harm it permanently.
Are the beings in the world you’re writing or reading invaders or locals? How do they treat the land around them?
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Muse Food – Dinosaurs And The Remains We Display
What happens to the remnants of beings and other living things after they die tells us a lot about the world we live in, the beliefs, the culture, the priorities.
Why do many humans in North America believe it is okay to display human corpses from ancient Egyptian times (i.e. mummies) but it isn’t okay to display the corpse of a celebrity who died last year?
Why do displays of bones from dinosaurs draw crowds yet the fossilized plant life from the same period is rarely even displayed?
How are the remnants of beings and other formerly living things treated in the world you’re writing or reading about? What does that say about that world?
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Muse Food – The Statues We Erect
The statues or sculptures we erect tell visitors what is important to us.
If the statues are all military figures, visitors will know they are in a war-loving place. They should expect hostilities toward strangers, a big police or military presence, disputes that end in violence.
If the statues or artwork are of artists, writers, sculptors, weavers, singers, visitors will expect a place that celebrates and values the arts, a creative, free thinking place that accepts differences.
If the statues are, like the above sculpture called ‘The Washer Woman’ by Jim Demetro in Puerto Vallarta, of the average working person, visitors will expect a place that strives to treat everyone fairly equally, that values the efforts of everyone.
What statues have been erected in the fictional world you’re creating or reading about? What do they say about that world?
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