--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Will had discovered, even before coming…" description: "\"“Will had discovered, even before coming to the City, that his muse was, like all muses, an incredibly finicky and temperamental mistress. He'd had sev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/chris-lester-44417_humor_will-had-discovered-even-before-coming-t_1551490.jpg" --- # Will had discovered, even before coming to the City, that… ![“Will had discovered, even before coming to the City, that his muse was, like all muses, an incredibly finicky and temperamental mistress. He'd had several good short stories over the years, a few of them bordering on brilliant, and some of them had even been published; but these gifts from his…” quote by Chris Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/chris-lester-44417_humor_will-had-discovered-even-before-coming-t_1551490.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/chris-lester-44417_humor_will-had-discovered-even-before-coming-t_1551490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/chris-lester-44417_humor_will-had-discovered-even-before-coming-t_1551490.jpg) > ““Will had discovered, even before coming to the City, that his muse was, like all muses, an incredibly finicky and temperamental mistress. He'd had several good short stories over the years, a few of them bordering on brilliant, and some of them had even been published; but these gifts from his imaginary goddess of inspiration were, in truth, frustratingly infrequent. She would hang around and whisper in his ears for hours, or days, or weeks, and then suddenly go off on an extended vacation without informing Will of her whereabouts or when she planned to return.”” [Chris Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creative muse is unreliable, appearing sporadically and then disappearing, causing frustration for the writer. **In simple terms:** Inspiration comes and goes unpredictably. Key Takeaway Accept the ebb and flow of creativity. Themes creativity frustration patience Mood reflective melancholic Type literary personal When to use this quote - writing - artist block - deadline pressure - seeking ideas Key Concepts Muse inspiration creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope when ideas vanish? - What rituals help sustain creative momentum? A Different Perspective Even when inspiration returns, it may not align with needed timelines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muse/) [Muses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muses/) [Short stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-stories/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I've learnt that the muse is like an angry girlfriend. If she comes knocking you better be home because if you're not, she doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anh-do/i-ve-learnt-that-the-muse-is-like-an-angry-girlfriend-if-she-comes/) [Anh Do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anh-do/) > [Music is a proud, temperamental mistress. Give her the time and attention she deserves, and she is yours. Slight her and there will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/music-is-a-proud-temperamental-mistress-give-her-the-time-and-2/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Music is a proud, temperamental mistress. Give her the time and attention she deserves, and she is yours. Slight her and there will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/music-is-a-proud-temperamental-mistress-give-her-the-time-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The Muse is not real. Relying on the Muse is like leaning on a crutch made of playing cards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/the-muse-is-not-real-relying-on-the-muse-is-like-leaning-on-a-crutch/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [It's a natural disposition for me to become muse-like in a relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/it-s-a-natural-disposition-for-me-to-become-muse-like-in-a/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [You should treat a muse like a fairy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-should-treat-a-muse-like-a-fairy/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I have my permanent muses and my muses of the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/i-have-my-permanent-muses-and-my-muses-of-the-moment/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [“The ancient Greeks worshipped the human capacity for insight. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/a-letter-from-a-muse-to-her-poet-dear-sir-i-was-called-away-and/) [Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/) > [Muses had a way of killing those whom they inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-neville/muses-had-a-way-of-killing-those-whom-they-inspired/) [Katherine Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-neville/) ## More by Chris Lester > [“Misty bit her lip — or at least that was what it looked like with the glamour. Kate could only imagine what she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lester/misty-bit-her-lip-or-at-least-that-was-what-it-looked-like-with-the/) [Chris Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lester/) > [“You ever get the feeling we're in way, WAY over our heads?' Kate asked. David shrugged. 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Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) [Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Will had discovered, even before coming to the City, that his muse was, like all muses, an incredibly finicky and temperamental mistress. 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