Sometimes an idea or inspiration comes at an unusual time – like when you are in the shower, driving, or even when having a conversation with friends.
Ideas and inspiration often come when you are not prepared. So, always try to have a pen and paper nearby for you to jot them down quickly before they evaporate. How does one tap into obtaining more ideas and inspirations? I use five sources to ensure I can get the writing done. They include:
- 1. Own experiences – I consider my experiences as one of the important sources for ideas and inspiration. I can write some topics that relates to my hobbies or interests. I also document what I am working on recently. Writing for my blog is my current interest and inspires me to keep on writing.
2. Books about writing – don’t neglect these books for they have tremendous information about how you can generate ideas and inspiration for your writing quest. I surround myself with great books about how to write well and one of them is If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. This book alone has inspired me to continue with my writing.
3. Internet – a lot of online readers complain they have information overload due to the massive number of sources over the Internet. Still the Internet is one giant place for you to get an idea for your writing. You can read other’s experiences and incorporate it in your own writing. You can also contact them to learn more about their experiences.
4. Observation – you can also find ideas by observing the people around you. You can document behaviors or actions to help you to write about the topic you are working on. I always observe people while waiting for the train. It is fascinating to find out you can see so many characters just by observing people. I also extend my observation to wild animals – like for instance, squirrels!
5. Conversation with others – whenever I made a conversation with my customers, I gain a lot of information of some topics that I have very little information about. One of my repeat customers who considers himself a green activist told me how he can help to recycle by separating the newspapers, cans and other recyclables from the garbage. He then told me in detail about the recycling process and he also giving me more resources about this topic. Don’t be surprised when your ideas or inspirations came from having a conversation with a stranger as well.
When I combine all these resources together I get a so many ideas and inspiration for my writing. So whenever I’m stuck in my writing I will tap into these five sources. If you have all these you will never run out of ideas or inspiration. All you need to do is to tailor the ideas you’ve received to the topic of your writing. Happy writing!
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