There is inspiration out there. Here are some suggested ways to get inspired.

I, personally, will likely disagree with some of these methods, but here goes. From some of what I am researching, I have discovered just a few of these gems. There are many more:

Jump-start that stalled Creativity

• DELETE AND START OVER
  • Maybe you have somehow managed to throw some words–anything that comes to mind–down on paper. (This usually works very well for me). If the inspiration does not come after that, and you are not sure that you are pleased with what you have started, don’t despair, and moreover,but moreover, DON’T delete it! Save it and set it aside, you never know when what you started might be relevant at a future date.
• USE SOMETHING CALLED “FREE WRITING”
  • According to many definitions, Free writing is a tried and true pre-writing method that often times allows the writer to unlock their creativity. It can also help with your fluency too. I’ve mentioned this in other posts. The theory goes that, after an exercise of free writing, the words should flow easier. This is not always the case, but it can possibly help someone who is having difficulty getting started, and it has worked for me in the past.
  • When we perform the task of free writing, we simply write whatever pops into our heads in the moment. Don’t worry about what is being written at this moment nor bothering to edit anything. That will come into play later
  • After you have completed this session, then take a look at what has been written during the exercise. This will serve as an exercise to determine if what was written creates a spark to get your writing back on track, even if it is only a start! There might be some interesting tidbits that can possibly be the impetus for a new plot from which to build from. After doing this, you just never know if there might be something usable to be gleaned from the exercise.
  • Some people allow themselves a time limit, but I believe that we should take as long as necessary until we feel like we are “in the groove”!
• TRY WRITING IN A DIFFERENT STYLE OR FORMAT
  • We can also try writing a different way than we might be normally accustomed to. I have not tried this personally, because I haven’t felt the need to, but I know others who have, so this would be a particular preference of the individual. Who knows? It might work to spur those creative juices which are temporarily jammed.
  • Some examples of this that I have read about are:
    • If we write poetry, we should consider attempting to write like a novelist.
    • If we write memoirs or family history, perhaps we could try writing lyrics to a song.
    • There are many other examples, so be creative. There is also the possibility that while we is deciding this, that our creative logjam might free itself up just by this sort of activity.
  • If we have ever watched or read true stories or historical event accounts, and were intrigued, then there is also an abundance of opportunities to try writing about those too.
    • There are many sources for this information as an example for a potential story or spin on a story (in the case of the latter, write “Based upon true events” if we choose to go with what we have come up with)
    • Several such sources include:
      • YouTube videos
      • Documentaries–these can be found on the History Channel and any other channel or Media that portrays these events (Old Newspapers, magazines, books–the list is almost endless–be creative).
      • True life stories can certainly provide the best inspiration for enthralling novels. While we certainly do not want to retell essentially the same story (unless we are embarking upon writing a non-fiction book–which might entail some additional due diligence, and perhaps some legal permission depending upon what is required), we can definitely meld the facts with some fiction like I did while writing my Bermuda’s Secret Series, thus making the story fit my own narrative. We can conjure up an idea and make any story into our own.
      • Perhaps we might have interesting life events, or relatives who have had life events that are interesting. Even things like this might make for a good read and deserve a little exploration.
• There are so many other ideas that should be coming to mind now. The lists for inspiration are literally endless if we use our mind to think about them.

Just reach deep within yourself and see what other ideas you can come up with!

Until then, KEEP WRITING!