First, I’d like to say a big thank you to Aidyl for allowing me to barge in on her blog. A couple of weeks ago, she sent me a super sweet email and asked if I wouldn’t mind sharing how to be inspired in your writing. I was so honored, so of course I said yes!

I’m a list person (just ask my husband – they are everywhere. About once a week I have to clean a big wad of lists out of my purse so my wallet can fit in there again), so in the interest of sticking to what I know, I’ve written up a list. Yes. A list about inspiration. That is probably an oxymoron, but that’s who I am.

So, without further ado, I present:

I cannot overstate this. A tired person does not a productive person make. Or however you would say that in a grammatically correct way. 😉 Get sleep (or caffeine). My favorite way to get this is from a caramel macchiato, but that’s not for everyone. I write every day during my two-year-old son’s nap time. And since it is the only two hours of the day where there is quiet, I tend to get a little tired while I’m attempting to get my word count for the day in. So, if you are like me, stock up on the caffeine. Move from the couch to the table or sit outside. Chew some gum. 

Sometimes, it’s best to just be honest and tell people, “Look. Anything you do or say will be fodder for my novel. Just an FYI.” But, more often than not, that just freaks people out. So, instead of alienating all of your friends, here’s an alternative approach. Go to a coffee shop. Sit in one of the booths with your laptop. Order something to drink and just listen. What is the couple next to you talking about? What are the baristas laughing over? Listen to the flow and ebb of conversations. People have a natural rhythm when they talk – it’s our job as writers to capture that. Jane Austen, one of the best, most timeless writers ever, is said to have been something of an expert on human relationships. Why? Because she had an advanced degree in it? Because she studied it in school? Nope – it was said that she was shy and would just observe people at parties. There’s the key, friends. Pay attention. You never know what amazing plots you can discover in the middle of Starbucks.

Honestly, there are going to be times when you just cannot write. I know that everyone says to be sure to write every day, be sure to get your word count in every day, but that sometimes just won’t happen. You’ll be sick, you’ll be tired. You might be completely healthy and completely awake but just have no words. It’s okay. Respect your writing enough to learn when to force inspiration and when to take the much needed break. My best writing often happens after I’ve taken a couple of days away from it. Read your Bible. Take a walk. Watch a movie. Do something creative with your hands. The inspiration will be back in no time.

Sometimes the best way I can breathe some life into my writing is by making sure that I am reading. There’s just something about getting lost in another person’s fictional life that makes it so much easier to think about my character’s life. I have specific books that I pick up especially when I’m feeling stuck in my work, simply because they make me relax and remember that writing is FUN. And that leads into my fifth point…

Don’t get me wrong – writing is work. Writing for a career is REALLY hard work. But sometimes I get so caught up in word counts and timelines and character’s hair colors that I forget that writing is fun. It’s fun! It’s creative, it’s exciting. Things can happen in your writing that can never happen elsewhere. So enjoy it. Set aside your internal editor and just have a good time creating your story.

I hope that this list was helpful for you! If you’d like more writing tips, come hang out with me and some of my dear writer friends atwww.scribblechicks.blogspot.com – we’d love to have you! Thank you again, Aidyl! This was fun! 🙂