Article written by Ashleigh Lowry.
No novel was written without an idea to start it all. Everything from an experience we’ve had as a child to a random conversation that we heard on the bus two hours ago could spark our next novel or poem. So, I took some time to talk to fellow writers and poets about where they got their inspiration from. So here are a few of the ways my friends and I gather inspiration for our future writing projects.
Being aware of the world around you:
People-watching! The art of sitting down in a public place and making notes on the people or conversations that catch your attention. Writers people-watch as a way of collecting as many interesting characters and titbits of conversations to use to inspire their next writing project. I have a friend that has even developed her own shorthand so she can gather as much as she can as quickly as possible. When talking to her about it she explains that though it may not be for everyone it is useful to do at least once, as it allows us to acutely observe the subtle and obvious differences in interactions dependent on familiarity, the real-life use of quirks, flaws and strengths in how people go about their everyday lives and a realistic idea of how the world interacts with people. By experiencing the world around us we are opening ourselves up to the possibility of inspiration from the crazy mammals we call humans. To start off with, go somewhere you would normally go, say school, university, that coffee shop just down the street that serves really yummy chocolate brownies and take small one or two notes on something that caught your eye and then when you get home, flesh it out into a piece of flash fiction or a short story. If that doesn’t work for you can still enjoy the brownie you bought.
Read, watch, play… do something that isn’t writing:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that no writer only has writing as a hobby/career. There are exceptions to this rule, however I am of the firm belief they may not be all that human. Doing something that doesn’t have you trying to create worlds or destroy your main characters very limited sanity is a definite way to allow your brain enough time to relax and refocus, providing you with that perfect eureka moment of inspiration allowing you to create sometimes brilliant ideas that you’venever thought of before. Experiencing other stories in the format of novels, games, TV and movies provides you with either something to do mindlessly so you can rest your brain from thinking about what you are writing. Sometimes even picking up a new hobby, book or game, can be the inspiration to build a new story. Having those fresh eyes gives you the chance to absorb so much more providing you with chance to interpret and create in your head. Also, the much-needed brain breaks from staring at an empty or half empty page never hurt anyone and you can always come back to your stories later (So please, writers, remember to take a break).
Try prompted writing:
Every now again writers can suffer from something I like to call the ‘Idea Overload’ where you can have so many ideas that we can’t even write one. It can be all consuming, maddening and ever so frustrating. During this common occurrence for myself, I go onto Pinterest or google, search up different types of writing prompts and just write, not really care if it makes sense or what length it is. I continually write, swapping in and out of prompts, until I feel my head is clear enough that I can focus and think. What is interesting about this outpouring of ideas and thoughts is that sometimes I find these wonderful little gems that inspire me to expand upon them. Writing prompts in all forms, pictures, sentences or music, are a way of telling your brain “Hey there is a direction! Follow it!” and this is sometimes exactly what you need to find the inspiration to create. If you are having trouble finding a prompt or deciding, an advancement on this tip is to combine prompts and create a clear connection between them. Do some research into different styles and genre types as well because you could never know where your next story may be hiding.
Some brand spanking new:
Something I remember very clearly from the Queensland State Library’s Young Writer’s Conference last month was one of the writers, Sam George-Allen, who talked about ‘Don’t write what you know, write what you’re interested in.” This is very true in the way of inspiration. Ruts, routines and cycles are not going to help with inspiration as it gives your brain another new thing to wonder or imagine about. Finding a new way to class, trying a different park for your daily run or something as little as watching a different style of movie can spark inspiration because you are now thinking and actively connecting with your thoughts. You can research some random term you heard about from a class member or google unusual restaurants for lunch. Giving yourself a new experience is a great way to provide yourself with a huge opportunity to gather inspiration. If worse comes to worse and you didn’t enjoy the new experience, you can always try again somewhere else.
There are probably a dozen or more ways of gathering inspiration, however, I do not have the word limit, but I can provide a snippet or two of advice. That advice being:
Find what works for you, it may take some time and a lot of trial and error but trust me it is worth it.
But no matter where you find inspiration, just keep writing and creating because in the end isn’t that what inspiration is for?
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