Where Do You Find Inspiration?
18:57
Inspiration is a marvellous thing. Few feelings are better than
being struck with a brilliant new idea or two by the mythical muse. But inspiration
is a fickle thing, and we writers simply can’t control it, which is why, all
too often, we’re left with no new ideas at all. But while we can’t simply
command inspiration to strike, we can put ourselves in the way of inspiration
by going places or doing things that might spark some fresh ideas. In this
post, I’d like to share a few of the things I do when I’m hunting for
inspiration, but I’d also love to hear where you search for yours. Why don’t we
share?
When I’m hunting for inspiration, one of the first places I
look is in a book. Fiction books especially have so many amazing lines,
speeches and turns of phrases. While I’d never think of plagiarising a plot,
the writing often sets my mind off on a rabbit trail of curious thoughts.
Non-fiction books are also good for new subject matter, especially if you’re looking
for new ideas for blog posts.
In the past, I’ve always found a lot of inspiration when I’ve
visited places with lots of history. Museums are amazing places for this. All
those stories of lives lived long ago, and all the curious objects that tell
the story of the past reek of inspiration. Old houses, historical churches and
cemeteries are also places that are worth visiting in the hunt for new ideas.
When I need a quick shot of inspiration, I often have a
conversation with another person. Even when we’re not talking about books,
plots, or anything writing related, there’s always the potential for the
conversation to spark an amazing idea. I can’t count the amount of times a plot
hole has been fixed in my book thanks to a completely unrelated idea.
So these are some of the things I like to do when I’m on the
hunt for inspiration. Where do you look for yours? Where do you find those
elusively brilliant ideas? I’d love some new suggestions to try out.
A Quick Announcement: Next week Gossiping With Dragons will be going into hibernation for three
weeks over Christmas, starting on the 15th. Fear not! I’ll be back
on the 5th of January 2015 all rested and refreshed and ready to
start the new year in style.
10 comments
Inspiration is definitely hard to come by sometimes; I usually like to look in movies, or, if necessary, research a plot device I can use to move the story forward. Your ideas are great, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd, I hope you enjoy your Christmas break! :) I look forward to your return.
Movies are a great place to find inspiration, aren't they? I love it when they have a feature or plot twist I've never thought of before and that sparks something in my brain. They're so great for helping with description and any sort of action research really. I'm not really knowledgeable about fighting, action, or anything of that sort, so I love movies for that. I sometimes find movie trailers alone are pretty good for inspiration, do you?
DeleteThanks! I'm sure I will. Much as I've enjoyed blogging this year, I've run out of energy. I think it's time to kick back and just relax for a little while. Hopefully I can come up with some great new ideas for the blog while I'm away!
Music, especially with lyrics, works best for me. I also like to ask questions like "what if the world were made of paper?"
ReplyDeleteOoh, I love how inspiring music is. It's interesting, because I often find that music without lyrics helps me more than music with lyrics does, and it's the opposite way round for you. I guess that just shows that we all find inspiration in different ways and laces, which is awesome. Asking questions is a great idea. And that question of yours has me thinking so hard about the answer to that now. I think just reading your comment is giving me some inspiration today. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI often find inspiration from another writer's piece - such as a short story or character description. As I try to imagine what they are describing, my own creativity sets to work.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your hibernation period :)
That's a great way to find inspiration. Character descriptions are really good for inspiring ideas of your own, aren't they? I love watching the swish and swing of another writer's words and following their rhythm in their writing. I wonder if that helps our brains tune into the way writing should sound again, and gets it back in the right place? That's an interesting thought.
DeleteThanks! Much as I love blogging, I'm looking forward to having a bit of a rest.
Inspiration, sadly I mostly get mine from staring into space for unknown amounts of time and just letting my thoughts drift wherever they want. Loved your post and hope you enjoy your hibernation time!
ReplyDeleteI do the same thing Bennet. That must be why I get so much inspiration while I'm driving. I guess our minds must get bored and start to amuse themselves. Which is a great thing for our inspiration, isn't it?
DeleteGreat tips. I'm always running out of inspiration, in fact I'm out of it at the moment, so this post is just what I needed.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally with everything you've said, I'd also suggest music, quotes, photography (there's nothing like taking a few snaps) and walks.
I'm always running out of inspiration too, so you're not alone. I love music and quotes. Especially quotes from other books. There's something amazing about reading other people's writing that gets my mind working. I've never tried photography though. That sound like an interesting idea. My sister wants to teach me how to take good (or at least half decent) photos, so maybe I'll be able to find some inspiration that way.
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