What's That Muse of Mine Up To??

I was on author/radio host Karen Vaughan's radio show a few weeks ago when Karen asked me whether I had any plans to write another novel. At the time, my latest book (Organic Screenwriting) had only just come out and the idea of any new book was far from my mind. "Sure, if inspiration strikes," I replied aloud, adding under my breath, "some time in the future."

That exchange flashed briefly through my mind yesterday when I was updating some of the answers to the Q&A that writer Sandy S. Bazinet did with me on her blog this past spring. (I will be posting the updated version of that interview here on my blog next week.) One of Sandy's questions was "What are you working on right now?" At the time of the original interview, I said that I was just finishing From Memory to Memoir: Writing the Stories of Your Life. Yesterday, with both that book and Organic Screenwriting completed and published, I rewrote my answer to say that I was "taking a well-deserved break after having written two books back-to-back."

That, I thought, was that.

It wasn't.

Earlier today, I was chatting with a friend about our trip to L.A. next week and found myself mentioning that I was pretty sure that I had at least one more novel in me. I knew nothing about this next novel, I added, nor did I have any immediate plans to do anything to find out.

The words had barely left my mouth when I heard the voice of my Muse as clear and insistent as ever: "The time for a new novel is NOW," it insisted, "or, at least, next week. Start it when you're in L.A."

Start it next week? When I'm in L.A.? Are you crazy!!?

Even as my mind launched a volley of objections, I knew – with that some knowingness that has guided my life and creative life for nearly three decades – that my Muse was right. It is time.

I know nothing about this next novel I'm to write. But launching into it from that formless void out of which all creation emerges is how I have always written. And launching into it from L.A., the city which my heart keeps pulling me toward (even as New Mexico seems reluctant to let me go!), also feels perfect.

Of my nine published books, three completed screenplays and three stage-musicals-in-progress, only four of those projects have not originated in New Mexico. (I started The MoonQuest book when I was living in Toronto and The Voice of the Muse, The Book of Messages and The StarQuest when I was living in Sedona). 

As I continue to set my sights on a full-time return to Los Angeles, it's interesting that I am to birth my next book in the city I hope soon to again call home.

Meantime, even before this afternoon's revelation, I had not felt called to make much in the way of plans for my L.A. sojourn. Even the sole Facebook friend I had hoped to meet in person (he lives close to where I'll be staying) will be uncharacteristically out-of-town during the precise dates I will be in his neighborhood! I will see my daughter, of course. I will go on some photography outings, undoubtedly. And there are a few meetings I will need to attend.

But I know now that none of those is the real reason I'm going to Los Angeles. I am going to birth a new book and – who knows? – perhaps a new life.

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The Unexpected Joys of Authorship

Being an author comes with many rewards. The first, of course, involve the joy of creation and the sense of accomplishment when the final period drops onto the final sentence of the final draft...often years after the first word of the first draft found its way onto the blank page. 

As miraculous as that instant of completion felt for me with The MoonQuest, another moment was more powerful still: when I ripped open the FedEx envelope that held my advance copy of the published book, my first. Thirteen years, two months and a few weeks after the beginnings of a story I knew nothing about had pressed themselves into my consciousness, I cradled the results in my hand and wept. Only the birth of my daughter eight years earlier surpassed the emotion and exultation of that experience.

As the weeks, months and years passed, first the The MoonQuest and then my second book, The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write, offered up many more occasions for joyful tears: multiple awards, glowing reviews, enthusiastic reader response and, of course, a movie deal encompassing not only The MoonQuest but its two Q'ntana Trilogy sequels. 

While neither book is yet a runaway bestseller, both The MoonQuest and The Voice of the Muse have attracted intensely loyal readers who have never hesitated to share with me all the ways that my books have deeply moved them and profoundly transformed their lives. In turn, their comments have deeply moved me and, in some cases, transformed my life. 

I can't speak for all creative artists, but this one still carries some core insecurities about his abilities and his work. It's not always easy for me to grasp how much my books are loved...and reread. As gratified as I am by the praise, I am sometimes equally baffled. "Me?" part of me still asks. "How?"

Thankfully, I have grown past the phase when I worried that perhaps I was a fraud. Still, when circumstances prompted me to reread the opening 40 pages of The MoonQuest a few weeks back, for the first time since proofreading its galleys five years ago, not only was I startled by how good it was, I was startled by how startled I was! Perhaps it has taken five years' distance to begin to be able to read those words as others read them.

Or, perhaps I'm not quite there yet. 

Last night, I received an email from singer/songwriter Amy Robbins-Wilson inviting me check out a video she had just recorded and asking my permission to release it publicly. Inspired by a scene in The MoonQuest, she had written and performed "Eulisha's Song," a stirring, evocative prelude to the journey that Eulisha's grandson, Toshar, would be called to undertake in the book.

Toshar, Amy explains, has just retired to his room after Eulisha urges him to embark on The MoonQuest. "I wondered," she says, "'What would Eulisha do while he slept?' It felt like she would sing and pray and send her power forward into the darkness to light his way."

I watched and listened to Amy's creation in rapt astonishment — not only because of the content of the song and by her haunting rendition, but because of the fact of the song. Although many, as I noted earlier, have shared with me their passion for The MoonQuest, this is the first time, to my knowledge, that any of that passion has inspired a work of art separate from me. 

"I started work on the song a couple months ago," Amy says, "and it all came together in a long car ride where I had to pull over at least three times to write down what I was singing. There are so many songs to be written for The MoonQuest."

So many songs...so much inspiration... For me...from me. Perhaps that's the ultimate reward of authorship: knowing that even as I have moved on to other stories, this one lives on --  not only inspiring others but also inspiring new creations in a never ending cycle of creativity. What could be a better life for a story that, at its root, is about the rekindling of blocked expression. And what could be a better gift for its author. Thank you, Amy. • Purchase The MoonQuest on my website or Amazon • MoonQuest ebooks for Kindle, iBook, Nook or Kobo • Candle photo: rgbstock.  • Direct YouTube link to Amy's video Please "like" my Facebook pages: • Acts of Surrender book • The Q'ntana Trilogy Movies • The MoonQuest book • The Voice of the Muse book • Mark David Gerson

The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson (#9): Radio About Writing, Creativity & Life

Episode Nine: Thursday, March 18, 1pm ET

(click here to listen live or to the archived version any time after the show airs)

• Ask the Writing Coach (your questions for me about writing and creativity)
• Feature interview with singer/songwriter Teri Wilder.


If you have Sprint Mobile, Teri Wilder is already a familiar voice when you check your phone messages. She's the sound of Sprint voice mail. But if that's the only place you know her from, you're in for a surprise on The Muse & You #9. Because Teri's also an accomplished singer/songwriter whose music has inspired congregants in New Thought churches all over the U.S for more than a decade.

As I'm not a Spint customer (sorry, Teri), I first heard about Teri when a mutual Facebook friend insisted that we connect. Once we did, I discovered an even more significant connection: my friend Rev. Carla McClellan, who interviews me most months on her unity.fm Spiritual Coaching radio show, is one of Teri's best friends. But it wasn't until I heard Teri perform her own songs at Albuquerque's Unity Spiritual Center that I knew I wanted her on this show as my first songwriter guest.

Each thought is new, each word is new / Every sound you thing you’ve ever heard is new / The sky is new, the earth is new / Every instant brings another birth of you
~ Forever New, Teri Wilder

A warm, vibrant voice coupled with uplifting, heart-centered lyrics have made Teri Wilder a favorite with many New Thought congregations. As Rev. Chris Michaels of the Kansas City Center for Spiritual Living put it, "Teri Wilder sings with her whole body, spirit and soul. She can change your life with a song."

In this episode of The Muse & You, Teri may change your life with her songs. She'll share what inspires her, how she writes and how she got started. We'll also play some selections from Magical Moment, the latest of her three CDs, and maybe from the others, too. But there's more to Teri's creative life than her music, as inspiring as it is. We'll hear how she's expanded the reach of her lyrics by including them in a line of greeting cards. And we'll hear about some of her non-writing pursuits, including acting, comedy and jewelry-making.

I am the change that there must be / The road to peace begins with me / It starts with love — it starts with me / I am the change I want to see.
~ The Change, Teri Wilder (inspired by the words of Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi)

As usual during the first segment of The Muse & You, I'll offer some writing tips and inspiration and take your questions about writing and the creative process and about me and my books, The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write and The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy. Teri will be on right after that.

Please tune in, and bring your questions -- for me and for Teri!

There are three ways to ask questions of my and my guests or to post comments:
• Post your questions in the show's chat room (free Blog Talk Radio account required)
• Post your questions directly to me on Twitter (@markdavidgerson)
• Post your questions directly to me on on my Facebook wall

The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson, is all about writing and creativity, and it's for writers and readers alike -- an opportunity to listen to writers and creators of all sorts talk about how and why they create and, of course, about what they create. It's also an opportunity for you to ask your questions -- of me during the first segment of the show, when I offer writing tips and inspiration, and of my guests during the interview portion.

Listen to The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson on the third Thursday of every month at 1pm ET (10am PT). April guest: TBA. May guest: author Lev Raphael.


The Muse & You Show Archive
If you miss any live broadcast, you can listen to the archived episode, which is available immediately after each show on the show's web page. You can also download any show directly into your computer for later listening.

• #8 ~ Feb 18 ~ Penny Sansevieri, author of Red Hot Internet Publicity
• #7 ~ Jan 21 ~ Cristina M.R. Norcross, author of Unsung Love Songs

• #6 ~ Dec 17 -- Karen Walker author of Following the Whispers

• #5 ~ Nov 19 -- Dan Stone author of The Rest of Our Lives

• #4 ~ Oct 15 -- Kristin Bair O'Keeffe author of Thirsty

• #3 ~ Sept 17 - Joanne Chilton and Jeanne Ripley co-authors of Wings to Fly

• #2 ~ Aug 20 -- Jared Lopatin, author of Rising Sign

• #1 ~ July 29 — Julie Isaac, founder of Twitter's #writechat, and Malcom Campbell, author of The Sun Singer and Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire

The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson (#8): Radio About Writing, Creativity & Life

Episode Eight:
Thursday, Feb 18, 1pm ET
(click here to listen live or to the archived version any time after the show airs)

• Ask the Writing Coach (your questions for me about writing and creativity) and a special feature interview with book-marketer extraordinaire Penny Sansevieri author of Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet


If you want to know anything about online book marketing, there's no better person to ask than Penny C. Sansevieri. CEO of Author Marketing Experts, a decade-old San Diego-based PR firm that focuses on books and authors, Penny knows what exactly what it takes to harness the seemingly limitless resources of the internet and direct them aggressively and effectively to your benefit. She should: Penny was focusing her promotional efforts on the internet long before the rest of us came on board.

Her newest book, the just-revised and reprinted Red Hot Internet Publicity crams her vast experience and encyclopedic knowledge into 279 pages of tools, tips and advice, along with a cornucopia of web-related resources.

Wondering how to create a web site that sells? Or how to deal with Twitter?

How about getting your blog to work for you? Or the six need-to-know rules of 21st-century publicity?

Of course you should pick up Penny's book for the answers. But you should also tune in on February 18 when I ask her about these and other aspects of getting the word out to the world about you and your books in the sometimes-baffling internet age. You'll also have a chance to use three of the tools of the internet age to get your book-marketing questions to Penny: the BlogTalk Radio chatroom, Facebook and Twitter (see below).

Five Things Penny Wants You To Know About Web Marketing
1. Don't Listen to Your Mother: Be vocal!
2. Don't Languish in Obscurity: Get buyers to your web site.
3. Emphasize Your Personality: Get personal.
4. Be Helpful or Be Gone: Give your visitors reasons to return to your blog or web site.
5. Content Rules: Fill your site with good stuff!
~ adapted from Red Hot Internet Publicity


As usual during the first segment of The Muse & You, I'll offer some writing tips and inspiration and take your questions about writing and the creative process and about me and my books, The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write and The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy. Penny will be on right after that.

Please tune in, and bring your questions -- for me and for Penny!

There are three ways to ask questions of my and my guests or to post comments:
• Post your questions in the show's chat room (free Blog Talk Radio account required)
• Post your questions directly to me on Twitter (@markdavidgerson)
• Post your questions directly to me on on my Facebook wall

The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson, is all about writing and creativity, and it's for writers and readers alike -- an opportunity to listen to writers and creators of all sorts talk about how and why they create and, of course, about what they create. It's also an opportunity for you to ask your questions -- of me during the first segment of the show, when I offer writing tips and inspiration, and of my guests during the interview portion.

Listen to The Muse & You with Mark David Gerson on the third Thursday of every month at 1pm ET (10am PT). March guest TBA.

The Muse & You Show Archive
If you miss any live broadcast, you can listen to the archived episode, which is available shortly after each show on the show's web page. You can also download any show directly into your computer for later listening.

• #7 ~ Jan 21 ~ Cristina M.R. Norcrossauthor of Unsung Love Songs

• #6 ~ Dec 17 -- Karen Walker author of Following the Whispers

• #5 ~ Nov 19 -- Dan Stone author of The Rest of Our Lives

• #4 ~ Oct 15 -- Kristin Bair O'Keeffe author of Thirsty

• #3 ~ Sept 17 - Joanne Chilton and Jeanne Ripley co-authors of Wings to Fly

• #2 ~ Aug 20 -- Jared Lopatin, author of Rising Sign

• #1 ~ July 29 — Julie Isaac, founder of Twitter's #writechat, and Malcom Campbell, author of The Sun Singer and Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire


Writing/Creativity Coaching Groups with Mark David / in person and by phone via Teleconference

• Via Teleconference / March 3-April 21 / 9pm ET (Discount fee through Feb 12)

An 8-week guided experience of creative commitment and acceleration. It doesn’t matter whether you have a project that’s ongoing, stuck or ready to kick off, or whether you just want help establishing and maintaining a regular writing rhythm; a Voice of the Muse Coaching Group will be your weekly compass alignment to keep you empowered, motivated, inspired and on track.


Private Writing/Creativity Coaching Sessions with Mark David

• Let Mark David help you unleash the power of your creative potential!

Forget Everything You Ever Learned About Writing

Forget your grade school teacher who was a stickler for spelling and grammar.

Forget your high school teacher who forced you to turn in an outline with your essay.

Forget your college professor who forced you to write a certain way.

Forget all the classmates or instructors who cruelly critiqued or ridiculed you.

Remember, instead, your discernment, your wisdom, your innate, free-flowing creativity and the guiding voice of your Muse, which will never let you down if you step out of the way and surrender fully to it.

~ adapted from "13 Rules for Birthing Your Book," from The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write.