From the Lion’s Mouth


Greetings fellow Disney fans! I thought it would be fun to share a writing lesson from the King of Beasts himself.

Mufasa tells us, in a voice only James Earl Jones could master, to: Remember who we are.

I adore this speech, and more importantly, I think it has a lot of relevance for us as writers. It’s all too easy to get so caught up in industry details, query woes and deadlines that we lose sight of who we are.

Storytellers. We love stories. It’s that simple.

When you first decided to write, was it to get an agent or be on the NYT bestsellers list? Probably not. (Those dreams started after you finished your first chapter, remember?) I bet most of us first picked up the pen because we had an idea for a story. A great story! And we wanted to share it with the world.

THAT’s what we have to remember. In the end, it all comes back to our stories. That’s where we find our joy.

Here’s a challenge for you: Watch Mufasa’s speech. Now, imagine it’s your muse talking to you, asking if you remember, really, why you first found the love to write. Have you forgotten? My guess is that it won’t take long to find renewed inspiration!

To kickstart your musical muse, also check out the amazing Broadway song.

8 comments:

  1. hello there, Just thought I would say "Hi" I am in your fantasy group, I'm only just working my way around everybody slowly but surely.
    Eve :)

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  2. I love The Lion King. No exaggeration, I have seen that movie well over 200 times and know the script by heart. I've also seen the stage show (and shed a tear or two at the sheer beauty and brilliance of it!)

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  3. Great idea! And very inspirational. I agree, it's important to keep an eye on why we write in the first place. For me, when I lose sight of that, I don't enjoy myself as much. What's the point of writing if you're not having fun? Thanks for stopping by my blog too, and nice to get to know you!

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  4. Angeline - One of my favorite b-day presents was when my Grandma took me to the stage show. You nailed it: sheer beauty and brilliance!

    Chipper - Definitely! You have to love writing and have fun if you're going to do it day after day after day... :)

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  5. Clever idea. I'll give it a whirl. Who said Disney cant be inspiring? Music often gets me in the writing groove.

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  6. Hi Nicole
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your kind words. Likewise it is always nice to meet a fellow fantasy writer. Be nice to get to know you.
    :-) awwsome blog.
    Eve x

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  7. Rebecca - I'm the same way with music. It's such great inspiration!

    Eve - Thanks! You too.

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