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The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write

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Mark David Gerson, author of the award-winning visionary novel, The Moon Quest, shares his secrets as a creative writer in this phenomenal guide to overcoming writer's block and unleashing your creative potential. Gerson offers numerous helpful tips, processes and visualizations to get the right words down on the page and to make those words flow without struggle.

As a creative writing instructor for over fifteen years, Gerson shares the writing techniques he teaches in his popular seminars, and which have made him an award-winning writer. He includes numerous visualizations (also available on a CD) to encourage people to unlock their creative potential. Gerson tells us not to worry about what we are writing but simply to keep writing even if all we can write is "I don't know what to write" over and over. The important thing is to keep the pen moving.

While some of Gerson's techniques are commonplace in creative writing courses, what he excels at is encouraging the writer to believe the book desired can be written. In fact, Gerson believes that book already exists and the writer simply needs to learn how to relax and stop the resistance that is preventing those words from getting onto the page. Gerson analyzes in depth the real reason for writer's block, how to overcome it, and how to channel that resistance into energy that leads to words on paper. The book's numerous short essays remind us to listen to our voices, to acknowledge that the story and characters know where they want to go, and that there are no perfect rules but that you can write however you want and it will be perfect for you.


[...].

Read "The Voice of the Muse" and you too will be ready to answer the call to write!

- Tyler R. Tichelaar, author of The Marquette Trilogy

When I was a child, muses were depicted in books as emaciated women who appeared to be chronically dying of consumption. For the tough-as-nails writer in training, this image was more than a few frail breaths shy of fetching.

English teachers, dreamy writers, lunatics and others in need of a good sun tan told me that a writer's first duty is communing with his muse. As a journalist's son, I found it hard to imagine slamming down drinks after work with newsroom veterans discussing resorting to a muse as a reliable source.

Plus, I was already new-age infected. I believed then, as now, that within the great illusion of time, that I had already written and/or was currently writing books in alternate universes which needed to be translated into the argot of our current reality. It's a many worlds quantum thing.

The writer's prime directive, the ground-level imperative of his/her existence, is manifesting what already exists in the dream worlds of other universes and making it real here. This imperative is as basic as breathing and to ignore it leaves most of us a few syllables short of sane on a good day.

Shunning consumptive images when it came to methods and sources, I've spent a muse-free life stealing stories out of the cosmic library.

Imagine my shock, when I found myself buying a copy of a book called "The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write" by Mark David Gerson. I figured it might make a nice gift for somebody. Turning past the copyright page, I read: "Writing is alchemy...truly a tool if wizards and sorcerers. It's the magic wand, the incantation, the wave of the hand that transforms all."

I've always believed that, not that I mentioned it to the guys down at the local watering hole.

As I read on, I began getting that shivery feeling that comes upon me when non-alcoholic spirits are loose in the room. Worse yet, it was all deja vu for while Gerson was saying what I've always thought (except for the muse part), he was casting a spell while doing it, one that I should warn you is the spell only an advanced wizard can cast, so if you're a writer, read this book at your own risk; or if you're not a writer but have thought of becoming one, then also read this book at your own risk because once you're enchanted it will be too late to turn back. Heaven help you then.

Gerson believes stories pre-exist, waiting hidden away in dreams to come alive. But while I've worked more or less as a blacksmith hammering them into this world, he provides ways to tune into the "muse stream" whereupon life flows onto the page like a warm sweet river.

Have I had a muse all this time? Perhaps. Perhaps I've tried to maintain too firm a hand on the creative process, again and again imposing logic in between my intuition and the page. I am very strong willed and stubborn (it's a Scot's thing), so with a few drinks and a fair effort, I can still throw Gerson's book in the trash where it won't harm me. I can still punch my prospective muse's lights out.

But I don't think I will, for the muse-stream writer Gerson's urges us to become represents the "me" that I wanted to be. Surrendering to "outside" forces has never been my strong point as necessary as it is, but Gerson wants us to surrender to the story and allow it to manifest into the world.

I've searched the many book stores and online forums, but nothing compares to Mark David Gerson's Voice of the Muse!
The book doesn't just help overcome the horrors of writer's block in initial writing, but the editing process as well.

The book helped me finish the last few chapters of my book and put me in a calm, and almost meditative, state to begin editing. The book takes a very practical and honest approach to the entire writing process; write now, write while the 'muse' is at work, and worry about editing LATER!

I can't wait to take on my next project knowing i have this book on hand!

Writers will often talk about waiting for the voice of the muse but I had never read a book on this topic until this book. Whether you are stalled trying to figure out which direction to take your writing or stuck in daily deadlines, you can gain much needed inspiration and encouragement from this book.

In some of the opening pages, Gerson writes, "Whether or not you know what you want to write, whether or not you seek to be published, begin by opening to the notion that whatever has drawn you to your page and these pages starts with you, with the call and voice of your Muse. Ignore all external direction and all internal criticism. Pay no heed to what the "market will bear." What the market seeks today may not be what it will seek when your book or story is complete. What your heart calls you to write in this moment may be just what others' heart will cry out to read in two months, six months or a year." (page 19)

Simple yet profound encouragement is laced throughout this book. Every writer can gain a solid dose of insight from THE VOICE OF THE MUSE. I recommend it.

"Receive this gift and keep it with you."

"Listen for the song of your heart. Listen for its rhythm and its words."

"Living Your Creativity"


Three times I opened this book at random. The messages I received are above. The last is actually a chapter title. I will start this review off with saying I don't know that this book will appeal to everyone because some people are like the dwarves when Aslan tries to give them beauty. The dwarves still saw ugliness. If you are not prepared to receive the message of this book, stop reading right now.

If you, like me, know that there is a magic to hearing that inner voice and are ready to open up to the Muse, do not read this either. Just go buy the book.

_The Voice Of The Muse Answering The Call To Write_ spoke to me on so many levels. From guided meditations that are simple yet profound to practical lists and advice on writing, Mark David Gerson has truly written a gift of a book. I predict that once you have read it, you will want to send it to people you know.

Don't mistake this title and think it is some smarmy New Age dribble. I am New Age and I know smarmy--this book is not even close. Gerson's goal is to show his reader how to listen to themselves while ignoring that inFernal editor so many of us carry. He takes on those of us who are bound to our keyboards as well as those of you who are bound to your pen. His gentle wisdom combines with a great sense of humor creating a book that I will turn to again and again.

Gerson doesn't shy away from taking personal journeys with his reader. When you immerse yourself in this book, you will feel as though you've sat down with someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously yet is very serious about their work. And I'm sure if I -- no when I -- meet Mark David in person, he will probably have a list in hand. This book has a lot of lists and bulletin points which, for me, makes it so much easier to read. I was able to focus on chunks and didn't feel as if I needed to forge ahead to the next thing. Pacing is a fine art and Gerson has it down.

Towards the back of the book, Mark David shares the mission of this book. I think this sums up perfectly how I felt about this book.


_The Voice Of The Muse Answering The Call To Write_ is about freedom. Freedom to grow, freedom to create, freedom to write. Through a dynamic blend of motivational essays, inspiring meditions and practical exercises, it nourishes, nurtures and reassures its readers, inspiring them to open their hearts, expand their minds and experience, with ease, a full, creative life.



Mission accomplished, Mark David Gerson. I hope you continue to bring this message to the world. To those reading this, listen to the song of your heart. I think it is probably telling you that you need this book for your own creativity.
(I originally posted this review on my blog.)

The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write is a wonderful resource for for both emerging and established writers. Mark David Gerson has a gift for bringing out the most genuine source of light in a writer through guided meditation, encouraging and inspiring quotes and useful exercises. I can open up any chapter to re-read and know that I will receive a new gem of wisdom every time. Gerson opens up the mysteries of writing and presents them as the most exquisite teachers of the creative process. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to enrich their spiritual journey as an artist.

Cristina M. R. Norcross
~ Author of:
Land & Sea: Poetry Inspired by Art
The Red Drum

I happened to run across Mark David Gerson on Twitter, and picked up this lovely book. I am not into the very "woo-woo" spiritual stuff, but the author strikes just the right balance between the practical and more mysterious sides of writing, and offers a lot of welcome relief for what can be a lonely and sometimes frustrating process. The chapters are short and manageable, and most can be applied to any genre of writing. The book is also beautifully art-directed and printed, so it is a pleasure to read on a tactile as well as a content level and would also make a nice gift for a writing friend.

The hardest part about being a writer is accepting it. Even if you've been writing all your life, to actually step forward and allow yourself the freedom; even the indulgence, of calling yourself a writer, is not easy. Even after three published books, one of which was an award winning novel, I tend to shrug and dismiss my writing as an all-consuming hobby, rather than a vocation or career. Mark David Gerson isn't having any of that. He's adamant that not only am I a writer who can write coherently, flowingly, engagingly, with ease, able to change the world; but also that you are too. The key is linking into what he calls the "muse stream." The Muse Stream is the welter of unwritten stories (the "ocean of stories") that, Gerson suggests, we all have within us. It's our creative subconscious; our intuition and sensual experiences; the magic in our perceptions. We need only listen, open our hearts, and keep writing, and those stories will naturally take shape.

Much of Voice of the Muse is an incantation. There are a number of guided meditations designed to help you listen to your voice, rather than fight it, so you can approach the place inside of you where creativity begins. For those that prefer a pragmatic `how-to' book full of check lists and rules, this might be a hard approach to swallow. It's much softer than that. The first rule is that there are no rules. The second is that you must get out of your own way. Leap into the void, and then just write. It doesn't much matter what you write, as your "muse", which you can call by any name that suits, from the collective unconscious if you like Jung, to God if you're religious, to the "muse" if you like the idea of a female spirit, to your own inner voice if you don't like labels.

The key message here, and it's repeated in many ways, is that you must write, and that if you do surrender and listen, and keep writing, you will succeed in your writing. It's a good message and one which Gerson delivers particularly well, sometimes with a subtle, underlying humour.

There is a warmth and an affirmative coaching quality to this book, but it isn't only about urging you on. There are also some useful suggestions and exercises designed to help you work through your fears, and find out exactly what you need to write. There are exercises for overcoming block, even when it seems overwhelming, ways of coping with distraction and transition, and ideas you can use to deepen your characters, enrich your settings, and extend your plot. The book contains chapters for working in writing groups, and also a chapter on how to edit your work without being too brutal to your ego or ideas. The book contains a number of anecdotes and suggestions from things that worked, and didn't work, while Gerson was writing his novel The MoonQuest. Gerson isn't afraid to share his own experiences as a writer, a teacher, and as a person and his honesty with the reader encourages trust, as he effectively practices what he preaches.

Voice of the Muse is certainly a spiritual approach to writing, and it may not be suitable for every kind of writer. Some people may dismiss the book as being too much of an incantation - continually pushing the reader away from the page and into the (foul) rag and bone shop of the heart (whereSleep Before Evening all ladders start...), but Gerson's point is that there is little that a writing teacher can provide in the way of pragmatic advice because, as Yeats himself said so beautifully, the true voice comes from within the writer. The one thing that you can do is encourage and coach, and Gerson has been doing this for fifteen years in his successful classes, and does this very well in Voice of the Muse. The book provides the tools to guide us towards our own stories, urging us that we must open our hearts and allow ourselves the space, and the self-trust, to do so. We not only have the ability; we have the responsibility.

Magdalena Ball is the author of the award winning novel Sleep Before Evening

I've read dozens of books on writing, but none have moved me as deeply as "The Voice of the Muse." Mark David's words are not only eloquent, they have a meditative quality about them that takes me directly to the core of my own creative being. He picked the perfect subtitle, "answering the call to write," because his book is the embodiment of that call. Every page invites me to open, and then compels me to write.

His approach is decidedly spiritual, yet it's the spirituality of being totally present, open, courageous, alive, and consciously connected to your creative source. He often talks of surrendering--to your writing, to your Muse, to your deepest and most sacred Self. He says that "when you sit down at the black page or screen, you have three simple tasks: Trust. Let go. Leap." There are several guided meditations in this book, but simply opening to any page, and reading, can give you something to meditate about, or inspire you to write.

To help me find a way to sum up what this wonderful book means to me, I opened up "The Voice of the Muse" to see where it would lead me. The page I landed upon was the title page for chapter 5. There, in large bold letters, it said, "listen to your heart." What a perfect message to receive, for the call to write both emanates from, and ends within, the heart. It is with our heart that we hear the voice of the muse calling us to write. And it is from the still and silent center within our heart that our "yes" joyously arises to answer the call.

Mark David Gerson's, "The Voice of the Muse," sits atop my list of favorite writing books, and holds a very special place in my heart. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Mark David Gerson has given a tremendous gift to writers on all levels. I had been searching for affirmations for writers for a long time and never found anything that was really useful until I came across THE VOICE OF THE MUSE. The book, together with the companion CD, are invaluable tools for finding inspiration, dealing with writer's block and having the courage to go on with a creative project in the face of one's own inner demons. Both the book and the companion CD are insightful, intelligent, caring and practical. While the information is geared primarily to writers, any artist will benefit from this brilliant, sensitive material.