Be Inspired To Keep On Writing

This Authorhouse article attempts to answer, "Where do you draw your inspiration from?"

What sparks your inspiration?

Since hiring a muse isn’t as affordable as it used to be, inspiration for your writing may need to come from other sources. Life’s daily experiences can be a great source for material, and will provide your story with an authentic feel. Intertwining real events into your fiction could make the perfect murder mystery, or maybe a news broadcast will inspire the content of your next chapter. You could also weave anecdotes from events in your life into your narrative. The key is being aware of the details around you, because ideas may come from anywhere at any time—always be armed with your notepad and pen.

What keeps you writing?

When you begin to feel like your ideas just aren’t flowing and your progress has stalled, take a break. Though it’s important to stick to a writing schedule, breaks are just as essential to maintaining your creativity and writing stamina.

Take some time to think about your best and worst life experiences. What emotions make theses events stand out, and how did they change your life? As horrible as your worst experience may seem, you may find humor in it, or develop a dark mystery from it.

If you’d rather stay away from personal stories, go out and find a good spot in town to observe people as they interact around you. Pay attention to how people carry themselves and the way they converse with each other. What can you learn about someone by the details you notice? Incorporate these kinds of details into your story, and model the flow of your dialogue after real conversations.

So you have an idea for your story’s plot. You may now be wondering where do I base my story? Again, reference the “real-world” for a wealth of new ideas. Sit out in a park and observe how children play, or sit at a pub and see how the after work crowd interacts. Find a location that piques your interest and write a detailed description of the setting. You can use these notes to portray a detailed scene for your reader, making your narrative much more realistic and accessible.

Inspiration can be as fleeting as it is motivating. Keep yourself on track to meet your publishing goals by taking breaks often and constantly being on the lookout for new sources of material.