Tips and Tricks for Finding Inspiration
By Tierre-Lee CurtisYou’ve gotten back into the habit of writing daily, as discussed in Getting Back into the Flow, but now we face the issue of what you're writing about. It’s all good and well to understand habitual behaviour, but without exploring content you're passionate about, your good habits will start to feel like a chore.
Finding inspiration is the hardest obstacle writers face. It’s where the wheels start falling off, and before you know it you’re back at square one. Today, we are going to explore some different techniques to help you keep those writing wheels moving and find your inspiration.
Environmental
Inspiration can be found in the environment around you. Whether you’re people-watching, reading others' stories, or even listening to music, you can find something to spark your interest anywhere you turn. Let your mind wander; how do these things make you feel? Why did they do what they did, and why did they do it in that way? What does it mean to you, and would it mean something different to someone else? Letting your thoughts question and explore these environmental influences is the easiest way to find inspiration around you.
Special Interests
Let’s say you have a hobby or a passion that excites you; it could be fantasy worlds, scientific experimentation, or even your household pet (it’s a full-time job taking care of our furry companions). Take that interest and explore it. Fall down a Google hole and find out the difference between a wyvern and a dragon (it’s the number of legs they have, by the way) or the origins of inoculations in human civilisation. Ask the questions you're genuinely curious about, then find their answers. You may find this leads you to even more questions than you started with – good. Curiosity is the spoke in your inspiration wheel that keeps it turning.
Try Something New
Sometimes, the best way to fix a lag in your inspiration is by rebooting the system. Writing about the same things can start to dull your imagination, so it’s always refreshing to try something new. It could be a new genre or format of writing, new perspectives on new content, or even the incorporation of prewriting strategies to help get you started. Changing elements of what you’re writing about, or even how you write it, can help you refocus your energy in a new perspective and re-spark your inspiration.
Below, I’ve included some helpful websites to help kickstart you in rediscovering your curiosity and inspiration;
