The Morning Muse

[Matthew WP]

OK, there has to be a reason. What's with the shower?

Up and out of the golden haze of just-awake and in the shower and the entire second half of my WIP's outline pours into my head.

It's not the first time either, though it varies between the shower and the just-awake haze.

I've usually been able to skip a bunch of the morning routine, ignore the fur and skin animals and get the notes into a safe place before they evaporate into the hustle of the day. Has anyone the same issue or been able to find a graceful way of capturing the Morning Muse?

 

[CageSage]

It's because you're thinking on these things when you put that head on the pillow and drift off into that world, whether subliminally or through induced REM/NREM dream states. Waking up and recalling the whispers of the night (some people call it dreaming) brings out the memory. It must be acted on within a short time-frame, or just like dreams, it fades with the light.
It's one of the best reasons for prepping scenes and outlines in the afternoon, early evening of the work you want to accomplish the next day. And it keeps the little grey cells dancing.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I think that the negative ions released by falling water put the brain into a calmly alert state that triggers creativity.

 

[LJ Beck]

I call my shower The Ideas Temple. haha.

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

At the moment, I've no time to think in the shower. The thermostat will only heat the water coming in so much. As the winter water is cooold, the shower temperature is tepid. I hate tepid showers, so I'm in and out as speedily as possible.

 

[James Charles]

For me it's swimming in shark infested waters. Aloha!

 

[Dorm Ant]

To the sharks, it's human infested waters.

 

[Rich.]

Has anyone the same issue or been able to find a graceful way of capturing the Morning Muse?

Definitely had the same issue, and I'd agree with all the reasons already given for why it works. As for "a graceful way of capturing the Morning Muse", I don't know about "graceful", but I know how to capture her. I run. I'm fat and slow, but nevertheless, I run – down to the lake, along the shoreline, and back up the trails to the village, puffing and sweating and glowing like a beetroot. All my best ideas happen then. The hard part, I find, is capturing the Motivation Monster afterwards and getting the treasure on paper.

 

[Barbara]

Same here. The Muse strikes at the most inconvenient times, but ... hehehe ... Swiss-super-organised me now has a notepad or phone or chalk board within reach at all times.

Problem is though, when I drop everything to scribble or type, hubby asks 'Whatcha writing?' ... and with that the Muse escapes.

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

I run too. And walk. In the countryside and up and down hills with my collie. Probably why nature plays a big part in my writing. Folk must often see me talking to myself all the way home. That'd be me repeating the scene until I can write it down. If it's just a great sentence or two, I say them into my phone.

 

[Matthew WP]

Same here. The Muse strikes at the most inconvenient times, but ... hehehe ... Swiss-super-organised me now has a notepad or phone or chalk board within reach at all times.

Problem is though, when I drop everything to scribble or type, hubby asks 'Whatcha writing?' ... and with that the Muse escapes. When he's home, anyway.

Noise cancelling earphones

When I'm in the chair in the other room with my headset on it's a clear signal to "Don't disturb Dad."

For my phone I have the voice note and written note shortcuts on the home screen.