A-mused and Be-mused

Sometimes I wish I could have a muse like Mira Sorvino, like Woody Allen had in Mighty Aphrodite. I also wish I could have a muse as intelligent as Ayn Rand, like Aldous Huxley did (or whoever it is that is narrating those confusing Levi’s jeans commercials).

But, I don’t.

Not because I can’t find any, but because I’m much too shallow.

My muse is the medium itself. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I was heavily influenced by Creature Double Feature. I still collect the kinds of  movies that appeared on the anthology. I was also influenced and inspired by Star Trek, Space: 1999 and In Search Of…


As I’ve aged, though, I’ve expanded my range of muses.

While I still find inspiration in movies like The Adventures of Captain Marvel and Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow, I now take my cues more from everyday life. If I see something on the news, I suddenly try to spin it in a different way for a story. I can hear people talking about something as simple as beauty products and I’ll find a short story about it.

For example, all those teenage girls gossiping about Twilight nearly made me gag and inspired me to go old school with Hunters.

My muses tend to be a mixed bag. I'll take a guy like Woody Strode (Sergeant Rutledge) or Noble Johnson (Most Dangerous Game), toss in Minority Report and add a dash of the run-up to the Gulf War, shake it all around until I get dizzy and then start typing.

Now, like CJ, I do have that voice in my head, giving me plot points and helping me flesh out details. Relatives and friends – eh, I mean friend – often think I’m losing it when I talk to myself. I’m simply talking out a story, examining all aspects.

Lots of people talk to themselves. It’s normal. Heck, I’ll bet many even answer themselves in different voices.

Right? Eh, right?

You know what? I’d better end this right here before I get myself committed.

For those who were expecting a traditional selection of muses, please enjoy the following montage of some who have greatly inspired my thoughts (and dreams).