In Greek mythology, the Muses were a set of sisters who would inspire artists and scholars in different disciplines, such as dance of epic poetry. Nowadays, I’ve heard everything from a cup of coffee to a loved one being called a muse.

If by muse we mean only something that inspires us to write, then my muse is feeling overfull. I’m full of all of these words that want to get out of me, but talking is often difficult, so I write instead. Sometimes I write emails, or tweets, or (every few months) a Facebook post. But mostly I write in novels

I first started writing a novel at 14 (about 30 years ago now) but never finished it or even got much beyond the first page. It turns out, carrying a novel requires a lot more than just a feeling that you want to write. I tried again in my early 20s and finished a whopping 30 pages before giving up.

Now, I’ve finished three and have another two with a significant number of pages. I expect I’ll finish both of those this year and start working on another. Being full of words is my muse.

What’s yours?