Who hasn’t read a story by Edgar Allan Poe or been inspired by him? Today I have the pleasure of hosting Leigh Lane. This is a treat you will enjoy!
Poe: Heeding the Muses
I’ve often said that for a writer, words can build like steam in a heated kettle. The pressure eventually becomes so great that there is no choice but to write for release. I’ve also described words as being like shards of broken glass. Individually, most are worthless. When offered through the lens of the muse and placed together in just the right way, however, they can come together to create stunning works of stained glass art. Like other types of artists, writers see the potential beauty in things many other people might not, and the words through which to record those things can come relentlessly.
I’m sure many people believe writers have an off switch to their muses. This is nowhere near the case—at least it isn’t for me. My stories do not stop when I step away from the keyboard. Moreover, a muse will haunt me if I don’t give timely attention to it. Words will start to come at me from all directions, ideas and images coming with them, all fighting for their release. It can be painfully exhausting, and yet for reasons we can only vaguely explain through analogies about kettles and shards of glass, we writers willingly surrender every bit of ourselves to our works.
I know every writer has a different personal interpretation of muses—what they are, what they mean to a work, what they represent—but for me, muses are integral to any creative effort. While I could never bring myself to define “muse” with any certainty (ask me on any given day, and I’ll give you a different answer each time), I must admit that I believe in them. Silly, I know, but it’s true. When I write, I find myself in a mad dash to record a strange mesh of visuals and random words that sometimes come at lightning pace. When I draw or paint, there are times when my hand scratches and scribbles with seemingly no rhyme or reason—until the art begins to show itself amidst the chaos.
I’m no mystic (I’m not even sure if I believe in an afterlife) and yet muses—even if only metaphorically speaking—drive my work. They tuck in references for me to discover during edits. They offer words, in perfect context, I’ve never before used in my life. They force me to the keyboard and hold me there until I’ve bled myself dry. Whether they are actual entities out there that inspire and prompt one’s art or whether they ultimately represent a drive that is solely a part of an artist’s own character, they still are very real.
Writers and artists would be empty without them.
You might be wondering what this has to do with Finding Poe, and so I leave you with a little hint: Read the book and it will all become perfectly clear. I fear I have said too much already, and yet perhaps I have not yet said enough. I’ll let you be the judge of that.
You can read a sample of Finding Poe at Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B007M7JWTY/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link
About the author:
Leigh M. Lane lives in the beautiful mountains of Montana. She writes dark speculative fiction that often contains strong social and political commentary.
Her novels span billions of years of science fantasy and historical thriller past to just decades into a dystopian future, while her shorter works offer readers a taste of her fast-paced and unique prose. For more information, you can check out her website athttp://www.cerebralwriter.com.
