How To Source Inspiration As A Writer

We all have attempted creative writing, at least as a part of school homework, and many people choose the activity as means of providing for themselves. Whether creative writing is your trade or a memory in the distant path, you have probably found yourself simply not knowing what to write next—in other words, facing writer’s block.

One may say that a professional writer must not seek excuses for not doing the job. While this point may be reasonable for technical writing, it does not apply to creative writing. After all, the whole point of doing something creative is to share the author’s ideas with the world.

Long story short, writer’s block kills creativity leaving only soulless writing.

As already mentioned, every writer suffers from blocks at some point. However, the frequency and severity of blocks vary from one creative writer to another. What is even more important, it is virtually impossible to predict the occurrence of a block and prepare for it in advance.

However, this does not mean that writers need to fall prey to the blocks without having any means of overcoming and even preventing them.

Inspiration is the key

Inspiration is the foundation of any creative activity, writing included. Sure, the technique is essential to make sure that the readers find your writing engaging and helpful. However, there is no point in knowing how to write if you don’t know what to write about for your next project.

Therefore, it is safe to say that writer’s block occurs when there is a lack of inspiration.

The observation above prompts a seemingly significant but straightforward conclusion: to overcome a block, you need to find inspiration. The even better news is that by making sure that you have a constant source of inspiration, you may avoid blocks for prolonged periods (although it is impossible to eliminate them from your life altogether).

Where to source inspiration?

Sure, to apply the method of avoiding writer’s block described above, you need to be able to find inspiration somewhere. The task may seem daunting because people tend to think that inspiration is some divine secret hidden in the vaults of universal wisdom. There are numerous methods to become inspired.

Let’s discuss several ideas.

Become physically active

Our minds and bodies are interdependent. Sometimes, the best way to get new ideas is to stop thinking and start moving. You may turn on the music you like and dance in your room to make sure that no one sees you acting crazy, go for a walk, or even exercise quite intensively if you are into it.

Anyway, the shift in activity is likely to help you recover your creative potential and resume writing with renewed inspiration.

Look around

As already mentioned, inspiration is often perceived as a mythical thing you need to fight for and retain. It can be found by shifting focus and looking around to find beauty or food for thought in seemingly mundane things.

After all, the most unproductive thing when facing a wall is to keep looking at it. Just look around, and you will probably find a way around or even a gate right through it. Again, you may listen to some music or go for a stroll contemplating nature; the point is to make yourself think about something else.

Have a conversation

All the stories come from experience in one way or another. As human experiences are finite, so is the inspiration. Therefore, it is only natural to seek interaction with others when faced with a block.

You may want to talk to your friends and relatives to inquire into their viewpoints and behaviours and transfer them to your writing. If you feel that this resource becomes depleted, it is a good idea to talk to strangers either online or even in real life.

Read

You may say, and rightfully so, that this recommendation should come first. Indeed, reading quality pieces of creative writing is a potent source of inspiration for your work. However, simply reading everything, you can lay your hands upon is not the most effective approach. You have to opt for the best and analyze their style to apply it in your writing.

To sum it up

Writer’s blocks are a necessary part of the creative process. However, they are not to be feared. The only thing you need to deal with blocks effectively is an inspiration. Fortunately, the sources of inspiration are many, and you are free to choose which one to tap into and which to avoid.

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