Is your next big idea at the tip of your fingers? Or are you staring at a wall of writer’s block? No matter where you are in your writing journey, you can always use inspiration. But getting that inspiration can be easier said than done. So what can you do to make it easier?
Believe in Yourself
This is the first step—and the most important. Believe in yourself. Believe in your talent as a writer. You are creative. You have good ideas. You can do this. With social media and more and more books being printed every day, it is easy to doubt your talent and creativity, but don’t get stuck in your head. Luckily, there is no limit to success. Everyone can take a piece of that pie—including you! To lift yourself up, have inspiring quotes on hand, talk to yourself positively, and believe that your work has value.
Take Notes, Notes, and More Notes
You never know when inspiration will strike, so it’s best to be prepared. The best way to do that is to take notes; whether that’s in your phone or a notebook, have somewhere you can write ideas down. You may see something funny at the grocery store. A line from an article might really inspire you, or a picture on Instagram might get you thinking. Ideas can come at any time in any place; be prepared to record those thoughts so you never lose them.
Be More Creative
It is no secret that creativity and inspiration go hand in hand. When you are using your brain creatively, you are more likely to spark inspiring thoughts, and those thoughts don’t have to be writing focused. Inspiration for your writing can come from any creative method: collages, photography, cooking, playing the piano, etc. The point is to get the creative side of your brain warmed up so that when you do sit down to write, you are prepped and ready to go.
Schedule Time
If you’re like me, you are more than busy. It is easy to plan to write but not as easy to make it happen. Make sure to schedule time to brainstorm and organize your ideas—and stick to it! Even just ten minutes a day can go a long way. Because inspiration takes time to find and develop, you will not normally have the next big idea for a book every time you brainstorm. Inspiration takes many small steps to achieve. Because of this, it can be easy to think that your time would be more valuable if you spent it somewhere else, like reading how-to writing books. But that is just not true. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap! Writing is made up of many, many steps, and they are all valuable. You can’t skip a few to get ahead. If you never take the time to find inspiration and organize it, then you can never get to the next step of using that inspiration to write something. So schedule that time to find inspiration—you’ll need it.
Just Write
The best method to find inspiration for your writing is jumping into your writing. Inspiration may not come while brainstorming, so grab your keyboard or a pen and just start writing. Many authors think that they must wait for a golden idea before they can start writing, but actually, many authors find that golden idea by writing what first comes to mind. Even if it isn’t very good, it’s a start. That drab storyline could turn into an exciting plot twist down the road. You never know. Writing is just about getting the idea written. Once it is written out, you can begin to look at your work from different angles; this is when inspiration often strikes. You can’t mold something that you don’t have to begin with, so get going. Write!
Inspiration can come in many forms and from many places, so keep your eyes peeled, your brain fresh, and your hands ready to write. Inspiration will come, especially if you prepare for it!
