10 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

Every writer suffers from a lack of inspiration at times.

You sit at your computer, staring at the blank screen, wondering what on earth you’re going to write about.

Be it an article, a blog post, a short story or a novel, you’re going to need a hefty dose of inspiration if you want to get down to writing.

Here are 10 ways you can add a little fuel to your writing fire:

1. Photographs

Whether you take them yourself, look through an old photo album, or spend some time searching through Flickr, photographs are a great way to find inspiration for your writing. There’s something about the ambiguity of a photograph (especially of someone or something you’ve never seen before) that helps get the mind going.

2. Music

Play some old tunes that hold special memories for you, or find some music you’ve never listened to before. I personally have difficulty writing while there’s music playing, but sometimes just listening to a few songs while you’re doing something else will help prepare you for a writing session.

3. Books

Go to the library and borrow some books, or pluck an old favourite from your own shelf. Reading what other people have written may be enough to spark a few ideas you wouldn’t have otherwise had.

4. Magazines

Magazines are are a great combination of the written word and visuals. Articles are usually accompanied by glossy images, so you get a double-dose of inspiration. You can find magazines on all kinds of topics as well, which makes them really versatile resources.

5. Newspapers

One surefire way to get ideas for your writing is to read the daily newspaper. Big-city publications hold a ton of information, but don’t neglect a local small-town newspaper. They might have some interesting human-interest stories.

6. Blogs

Subscribe to your favourite blogs through a feedreader, so you can get an on-demand list of newly published articles. Sometimes it helps to see what other people are writing about to give you some ideas. If you’re working on an article or blog post of your own, you can write a response to something you’ve read on another blog.

7. Lyrics or Poetry

One of my favourite ways to get inspiration is to read song lyrics. Often we’ll hear songs and memorize the tune, while we have no idea what the singer is actually saying. I often find ’stories’ in lyrics, because they use a lot of figurative language. Poetry can give you the same result, and no two people will come up with the same interpretation.

8. Eavesdropping

Next time you’re out at the grocery store, the bank or the coffee shop, pay attention to what’s going on around you. Listen to the conversations people are having. Watch how they move, how they speak, how they interact with others.

9. Experience

Go out and do something! There’s nothing worse for your inspiration than sitting inside all day looking at the same familiar surroundings. Go for a walk or a bike ride, take a bus or train around town, drive someplace you’ve never been before. Keep your eyes and ears open while you do it.

10. Writing prompts

A writing prompt is simply a thought, an idea, a word or a sentence starter that you use as a springboard for your own writing. Quotations work really well for this exercise. It might be something as simple as randomly choosing 10 words from a dictionary and seeing where they lead you. The possibilities are limitless.

Are You Inspired Yet?

Remember, we are surrounded by information, by ideas, by stories. Every object you see, every word you hear, every person you meet can inspire your next writing project.

What are your best tips for finding ideas?

Photos courtesy of Gibsonclaire, fotographix.ca and JasonRogers