What Inspires Your Writing?

Nothing, everyone, everything and you.

The truth is that writers need to set time aside to do things to inspire them, just like athletes set aside time to train for the big game. Sometimes you aren't going to feel inspired, but there are things you can do to turn on the inspiration spigot.

1.   Do nothing at all. That's right, nothing.

2.   Listen to music. Your choice, whatever you enjoy.

3.   Watch TV or a movie. Some have interesting stories and dialogue that will get you going.

4.   Meditate. Cleaning your mind of negative thoughts will go a long way in allowing room for positive ones.

5.   Exercise. Nothing is more limiting than a sore back from sitting in a chair too long. Get up and move.

6.   Journal or write in a new location. Go outside to write or the coffee shop down the street for a change of pace.

7.   Meet a new person. This is not an easy one for everyone if you're an introvert. I don't advocate you becoming a weirdo and chatting up everyone you meet. Still, I support stepping out of your comfort zone if the person might be interesting enough to become a protagonist in your next book and you want to learn more about them.

8.   Become a voyeur. No, I don't mean that. Okay, go ahead if it will help you out of your funk. I was thinking more about people watching and listening in on others' conversations for pieces of dialogue. I've found diners and dive bars the best places for this, but dressing rooms, where women are trying on clothes, have been eye-opening experiences. The key to most writing is authenticity, so finding inspiration in authentic situations and conversations works.

9.   Visit art museums. Looking at and talking about art stimulates me and has provided ideas for stories in the past.

10.   Go out with friends. A simple evening with friends over a problem one of them was having, has generated a plot idea, more than once.

11.   Take up a hobby. Try drawing, music, or something else. It filters into your writing.

12.   Research. This may be an excellent time to conduct background research on locations you want to use for your books.

13.   Help someone else, like family or friends. That's what I did Monday and Tuesday. My son and his wife had another baby, an at-home birth, and needed someone to come in and watch the other children while they spent time recovering and bonding with the new baby. Fixing meals, housekeeping, and that kind of thing can go a long way in assisting someone else. Believe it or not, not thinking about your writing turns the spigot of creativity back on.

On another note, I'm reporting on the Bookfunnel ARC I was trying out in my prior post on ARCs. So far, fifteen people have downloaded my ARC book. They can only leave reviews on Amazon when the book releases on April 5. After that date, I'll send a reminder to leave a review, even though the promo runs until April 15. I'll get back to you and let you know how things go.

Have a wonderful week, peeps! May creativity flow…