A number of you have been engaged in a lively discussion of when to write.  Should we write every day at a fixed time, or should we wait until inspiration strikes?  Which is better–discipline or Muse?  Let’s continue the conversation.  Michael Bridge, who attended the Sebastopol Poetry Slam, carries a large notebook with him throughout the day.  He says, “I consider life to be an ongoing conversation with the universe, and sometimes, I invite my pen to participate in the conversation.”  Definitely a Muse person.

On the other hand, Isabelle Allende starts her novels on the same day every year and writes for a fixed time every day.  Of course, by the time she begins to write, the Muse has already struck, and she has traveled to the places she will write about to take detailed notes.  She says that if she didn’t set a date, she would procrastinate forever and never write.  Therein lies a second issue for the Muse aficionados–are you truly awaiting the Muse or are you a bonafide procrastinator?  So join in the discussion.  Tell us which works best for you–setting a time or writing when inspired–and why.  On with the debate!