We’ve all had that magical moment when an idea hits and we suddenly know exactly how to go about writing our stories. Everything clicks into place. For once, things are going well. And then it ends.
Unlike what many writers may think, inspiration isn’t a mystical force that comes and goes as it pleases. It is nothing more than influence. In this case, the influence of ideas which makes writers want to create. You don’t have to wait for it to come back around. You can look for it, cultivate it, and even create it for yourself. It all comes down to knowing how to use what you have.
Luckily, there are many ways to seek out those creative sparks. Here, we explore just a few of those. Try them out for yourself to find new and exciting elements for your own stories.
Read, a lot
Reading is one of the best ways to find inspiration. You never know who or what will influence your writing. Try to read everything you can get your hands on – the more experiences in different forms of literature you have, the better.
The more you read, the more you expose yourself to different styles, themes, genres, and ideas, which can open up new avenues to explore in your own work. Even reading something you dislike can be inspiring—it might push you to write something better.
Rewrite scenes
Find a scene you love – this can be something you’ve written or something you’ve read in another book. Rewrite it. This can be powerful for two reasons: (1) at each point in your life, you approach certain topics differently as you experience life and it affects your worldview. This means that if you take a scene you wrote five years ago, it’s going to change when you rewrite it today, and you can learn a lot from those changes. (2) Those who want to master a form of art emulate the ones who came before. By rewriting a scene you like from another author, you are putting their style into practice and learning how to shape your own accordingly.
Test combos
If you have multiple ideas lying around, but don’t know what to do with them, try mixing and matching. Eventually, something will click in an unexpected way, revealing the path to an engaging story.
Free write
Free writing is a great way to get your ideas flowing. The goal is to just put words down without overthinking, judging, or editing them. Afterward, you can look through what you wrote to see if anything stands out.
Start deleting
If you’re stuck while working on a project, sometimes deleting what you’ve already written can shock your brain into action. Yes, it’s as terrifying as it sounds. At first. But you’ll find that sometimes it’s exactly what you needed to figure out what it was you actually wanted to say.
You don’t have to delete everything. Just a scene or a paragraph, if that’s where you feel unmotivated.
Change processes
If you stick with the same processes, you’ll always get the same results. If maintaining your current writing processes isn’t working for you, experiment! Try making a story with images before writing anything. If you’re a structured person, shake things up and write without any formatting for a few pages. Stepping outside of your norm will keep your processes exciting and refreshing so you stay engaged while you’re in the moment.
Follow prompts
There are a couple of ways to go about using writing prompts. You could ask someone to give you a new prompt regularly or you could scroll through prompts until you find one that inspires you.
Or you could step outside of the box and challenge yourself. Your challenge could be something like “I have to respond to the first writing prompt I see each day.” This practice forces you to be creative, to put something down on paper even if it’s not perfect, and to get into the flow for when you sit down to work on your WIP.
Research, just for fun
Research isn’t just to make sure your information is accurate – it can also be a tool to find new ideas. Look up the history of items you mention in your story; shadow people at jobs you’ve never heard of before; pick up a random how-to book at your local library; fall down a YouTube rabbit hole. There are millions of options out there for new side plots, character traits, conflicts, abilities, backstories, and settings. You just haven’t been introduced to them yet.
Look back on personal experiences
Don’t overlook the stories from your own life – there is a treasure trove of usable material there. What things have happened to you? To people you know? Think about your childhood, your adult years, the lives of your friends and family, the stories your grandparents used to tell you. Life is full of adventures waiting to be turned into compelling stories.
People watch
People-watching is an underrated practice for the imagination. Don’t be creepy. Just observe the world around you and as people pass by, imagine what their lives are like. Even better, use their appearances and behaviors along with what you imagine about them to create character profiles.
Browse forums
People ask a lot of questions and share deeply personal experiences on online forums like Quora and Reddit. Sometimes they can be a valuable source of information or authenticity. Browsing through these is a good way to find realistic conflicts and concerns for your characters to have.
Watch TED Talks
People who give TED Talks are passionate and engaged about specific topics. These can be incredibly inspiring. Try some out and see if you catch their spark with a new idea or angle for your project.
Consume other media
Books, movies, documentaries – these are all good places to find inspiration. If you’re stuck on a particular scene in your WIP, watch a scene from a movie or read a passage in a book that explores the same theme or feeling you’re aiming for.
Don’t forget to explore documentaries and biographies. True stories often show a lot of character and expose you to engaging troubles. From these, you could base your character on a failed scientist or give a historical figure a new timeline to exist on.
Just be careful you don’t turn pre-existing movies or books into a new novel by you. The goal isn’t to copy what’s already out there, but to leverage trends and ideas into something uniquely yours.
Immerse yourself in art
Art is different from books and movies because it has more potential for the abstract, leading to thousands of interpretations. Look at paintings and photography for inspiration about scenes, settings, characters, and motives. Listen to music to explore scenarios and angles within each line of lyrics or emotions within the rise and fall of notes.
Have conversations
When you talk to someone about your ideas, sometimes that can make something click in your mind or they can have their own ideas about what you should do next. As you talk, pay attention to what they seem interested in and what makes them bored. The ideas that get them excited are things you should explore and expand upon, while the ideas that they seem disinterested in are areas you should work to strengthen.
Try new things
Inspiration is everywhere, but sometimes you need to change your perspective to see it. Try something new, whether it’s a hobby, a place, or an experience. Stepping out of your usual routine can open up a world of new possibilities and ideas.
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Remember: inspiration isn’t a mystical force—it’s a muscle you can exercise and a skill you can develop. The key is to be open, curious, and willing to explore. So go out there, seek inspiration, and let it fuel your creativity.