How to Find Inspiration

            So far in this blog, I have talked about how to be motivated to write and have given tips on how to get started and how to keep going.

            But what if you have no clue what you want to write?

            You have no scene in mind. Nothing has woken you up in the middle of the night.

            You’re just in a slump.

            I’ve been there. Somedays I have this nagging feeling to write, but I don’t know what. There are things I should write, but let’s admit it – sometimes we want a break from the usual things. Believe it or not, I get tired of blogging and working on my novel. There are also weeks where I have to write short stories for school and have no idea what to write.

            What do we do when we want (or have) to write, but we don’t have anything in mind?

            This is when we need to find inspiration. There are actually many ways to find inspiration – we just need to open our eyes (and sometimes our ears) to them. I will briefly go through each one that I can think of, but I would love to hear from you if something else inspires you!

Books

            This is probably the most obvious one. Most likely, you were inspired to become a writer because you love to read. You also probably have a list of favorite books. It’s time to put it to good use! Read a scene, a chapter, or a portion of either your favorite book or some other random book. Whenever I read, I am suddenly inspired to write one similar to it. I’m not saying you should copy the plotline, but if you just want to randomly write a scene you will never publish, you can write what you want!

And if you’re trying to find inspiration for a book or series you do intend to publish, then keep an eye out for elements of the story you like. A book that is half the inspiration for my current novel is Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I loved the alternating first person POVs as well as diving into the action from chapter one. Those are things I integrated into my novel while still keeping it my own.

Movies / TV Shows

            Movies are one of the reasons why I decided to become an author. I have no interest in writing scripts, nor do I plan to go into the movie business (not saying my books won’t become movies). But the first “book” (36,000 words) I ever wrote was a Star Wars fanfiction. Star Wars is the second half of what inspired my novel.

            Movies and TV shows whisk us away to different places, times, and realities. With streaming services more common now, we can just click a button and find inspiration! We have access to so many movies and TV shows. If we are bored, have that nagging feeling to write, and have nothing else to do, find your favorite movie or show, watch a portion, and see what ideas you come up with. Maybe you can combine a character in one movie with a situation that happens in a completely separate show. Who knows, it may get interesting!

Music

            I have created so many scenes (that don’t belong anywhere) just by listening to music. The music I listen to most is movie soundtracks. I am one of those people who will sit there and drown in the awesomeness of the piece (John Powell’s “Test Drive” from How to Train Your Dragon is PERFECTION). The drama, the emotion – it is hard for me to not create scenes! Even if it comes from a movie, I imagine a completely different story with original characters that I want to write.

            Soundtrack, classical, or other music that does not contain lyrics can move you to creating a scene full of emotion. In songs with lyrics, you can read the lyrics and create a story based on them. Music has a way of moving us. Why not let it move you toward creativity?

Book Titles and Covers

            This is something I just thought of (I think I heard it from somewhere too) but have yet to try. There are so many unique book titles and covers out there, and sometimes they’re so intriguing that I must know what it’s about.

            What if we played a guessing game? Look at a title or a book cover of a book you’ve never read, then write a scene you think would be in that book. Then read the book and see if you were right! You can even do this with books you have read (though it may be more difficult to write something original). See what ideas you can create based on no context of the original book.

Writing Prompts

            Writing prompts are very helpful if you know what to look for. I know I mentioned in a past post that I don’t really use them because they’re often cheesy or aren’t dramatic enough for my taste. But there are lists upon lists of writing prompts for each genre. If you’re absolutely stuck, I suggest looking up writing prompts based on the genre you want. The more specific you are, the better it might be. Even if you don’t find something that completely sparks your imagination, try combining two of them or an element of two or three of them.

News Stories / Politics

            Stuff happens every day, not just in our country, but around the world. News constantly filters in. Whether it’s tragic, silly, or encouraging, look at news reports or headlines and see if any ideas for a story pop into your head. Try thinking of it in a different setting with different types of characters. If, let’s say, a man saved kids from a burning school bus, is this man a superhero in disguise? Were the kids on their way to school, or on a mission only they could accomplish and now it’s delayed? Those are just some random ideas.

            Also pay attention to politics. What if your main character is working in the government, but realizes there’s some dark, undercover stuff going on that could lead to an apocalypse? Or what if an apocalypse is already coming, but the world leaders are hiding it?

            It doesn’t have to be that dramatic. But take on a different view when looking at news reports and politics and see what could possibly go wrong (even with something that looks very right).

Real Life Events / Memories

            There are many things I want to write just based on things that happen in real life (except with a twist). This can also be along the lines of watching the news, or even just things that are happening or have happened in your life. If your life feels dull, think of scenarios that could possibly happen that suddenly change everything. A robot crash lands into your workplace. You’re making dinner one night when someone starts pounding on your front door. All fiction starts with characters living their everyday lives.

Asking “What If…”

            This is a huge tactic for authors when creating books (I just used a bunch of them above). One book I worked on for a while started because I thought, “What if you were stuck in the forest with your sworn enemy?” Many authors take two situations, characters, or plotlines and think, “What if this happened to this?” or “What if this person did that?” (You get the gist). There are many combinations of things and many possibilities. You can combine an idea you created while listening to music with a character from a movie. There are so many things we could write!

Your Outfit

            Trust me on this one. I once planned out an entire book (one that I later realized was no good) based on a character who wore the same purple camo hoodie I wore in ninth grade. My denim jacket also inspired one of the characters I wrote in high school. I don’t know about you, but there is just something about certain outfits that makes me create stories. You can call me crazy if you want. But I suggest going through your wardrobe or Pinterest, finding outfits, then imagining what they would look like in a different setting. You could be surprised!

            These are all just some ideas that can help inspire you when you’re in a slump. I am sure there are other ways to find inspiration too (if you have any other ideas, comment on this post so others and I can see!). When that nagging urge to write overcomes you or you have to write a short story for school (like I do), finding inspiration can make all the difference. The key is looking in the right place!