Writing Inspiration

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. – Jack London

Sometimes a writer needs to find inspiration from an unlikely source. Have you ever done one of these things to inspire your writing? Or would you?

1.       Overheard dialog. Go to a restaurant, the mall, or a park. Take a seat and listen to other people talking. Is there something in the tone of a person’s voice, or the way a word is spoken? Does the person have an accent?

2.       Art. Go to a museum or search the internet. Is there a piece of art that inspires you to create a story?

3.       Nature. Go for a walk or a jog. Listen to the birds, smell the flowers, and appreciate the beauty around you.

4.       Dreams. Do you dream? If so, keep a dream journal by your bedside and write in it every morning. You never know where you’ll find your next plot twist.

5.       Brainstorms. Just start writing down words, thoughts, or phrases. Speed and quantity are more important than quality.

6.       Breaking your routine. Get out of your rut to see things from a new perspective. Take a new route to work. Read a book or take a walk instead of watching television. Ride your bike instead of driving the car. Mix things up!

7.      People watching. The greatest place I’ve found to people watch is at an amusement park. You can build several characters from a wide range of ages, to how they dress, to how they walk, and what they eat.

Where do you find inspiration?

Nancy Roe
Author