Chasing Inspiration with a Club

Legend has it, there was once an uninspired writer who stared at a blank screen for so long they turned into a statue. To this day, that writer gathers dust, waiting for inspiration to strike.

Do you wait for the writing muse to beckon, or do you chase it? This question is at the heart of our latest poll:

Force myself to write anyway 30%

Actively seek inspiration 30%

Give up and wait until I’m inspired 40%

Well, if you're the "waiting for inspiration" type, you could be waiting a very long time.

Inspiration can be an elusive beast. Sometimes it hits you out of nowhere, while at other times you feel as if you’re stuck in an endless drought, desperate for a single raindrop of an idea.

My own creative dry spells were shattered by a single realization. Inspiration is not a passive activity. Creativity isn’t subject to the will of some strange, unpredictable phenomenon. In fact, quite the opposite. While we’ve been waiting for it, it’s been right in front of us, frantically waving its invisible arms and soundlessly shouting, "Hey, over here!"

As Jack London suggests, you can (and should) chase down inspiration. Like luck, we can create our own: if only we know where to look. One of my best tips for writers, what has buoyed my creativity over the years more than anything, is to always be on the lookout for ideas. Just ask my kids. All they heard growing up (aside from "Clean your room!") was "Wouldn't that be a great idea for a book?"

How many potential ideas do you blithely disregard every day? I'd be willing to bet hundreds. Creative opportunities are omnipresent: behind a door, the next seat over on the train, on the shelf of a thrift store. It’s impossible to capture them all, but more are within your reach than you might imagine. The simple act of being present in day-to-day life - observant of the world around us - is the greatest source of inspiration writers can have.

With that said, I’ve compiled eight places to search for inspiration if you’re feeling rather blah about your writing. Look closely and I promise you will find all you need. Then it’s up to you to do something with it.

1. Listen to music (and don’t do anything else).

Whether doing the dishes or driving to work, we hear music all the time. When’s the last time you really listened to it, though, focusing on the lyrics (if applicable), the rhythms, the soaring notes and nothing else? The song you’re listening to could be the soundtrack of your next story. Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box, for example, which takes its name from the Nirvana single.

2. Get creative in another way.

If you typically pen short stories, try writing in a different form, such as a poem or song lyrics—it can be refreshing! Or, step away from your computer or notebook altogether but still keep the right side of your brain activated via another art form. Try drawing, painting, crocheting, baking or building a birdhouse. Stories aren’t only told through ink and paper.

3. Go for a walk—and be more present than you’ve ever been.

A friend of mine told me that on a recent walk in her neighborhood, she noticed a new hotel, and said to her husband: “Wow! When did that go up?” “Seven years ago, Rip Van Winkle,” he replied. The point is, we miss out on a lot when swept up in the hectic pace of daily life. Slow down, look around and take notice of how anything and everything can be part of a story. Maybe your protagonist is the architect who designed that building, or someone nervously proposing at its rooftop bar.

4. Revisit a story you know and love (or hate!).

Sometimes one story can spark another. Reimagine a favorite story and tell it in your own way, like Jane Smiley did with A Thousand Acres, a fresh take on King Lear, or Helen Oyeyemi with Boy, Snow, Bird, based on Snow White. You could also take a minor character or part of a scene and create a totally new narrative. Or - wait for it - revisit an experience from your own life, and create a new ending for it. Why not? Your story, your choice.

5. Try a new experience.

New experiences = new ideas. If you've plumbed the depths of your own experiences, create new ones. You don’t have to take up skydiving (although I’d be interested in reading about it); it could be as simple as hiking on a different path or trying a flavor of coffee you’ve never had. The important part is that you soak in as much of it as possible, and write down any observations, in the Notes section of Will.Power, the accountability system we created just for you.

(Haven’t signed up yet? Womp, womp. Get started here.)

6. Open your inbox.

No, really. Scroll past that annoying spam, and funny dog picture, and click on your latest Will.Power email. Will.Power emails are chock-full with writing tips and story prompts guaranteed to jumpstart your creativity, so you’re never stuck wondering what to write about.

7. Start journaling.

Use your Will.Power journal to strengthen your creative muscles. Entries don't have to start with “Dear Diary,” although they could. I personally like to give my journal a very dignified name like Herbert, or Beatrice, but to each their own. Begin by writing about absolutely anything, from an interesting dream you had last night to the deceased ant you found in your Cheerios this morning. Once you start journaling, you might uncover a glinting gem you weren’t aware of (rather than an insect), floating around in your mind. Kafka’s diaries are enthralling, from casual observations to ideas he would later run with.

8. Listen in on the conversations around you.

Most of us tune out the snippets of conversation we overhear every day, from a heated phone call on the bus to a couple joking as they stroll down the sidewalk. Take what you hear and imagine the dialogue that led up to it, and where the conversation might go from there. Okay, don’t make your eavesdropping too obvious, but you get the point.

Now that you have a better idea of how to pursue them, take advantage of all our Will.Power tools to nurture and record your inspirations . When lightbulb moments occur (and replicate like tribbles.), stash them in Will.Power’s journal and notes sections for your next writing session.

Try this: Take a moment to look outside your window and write a few lines inspired by the outdoor scene. Scan carefully for an interesting juxtaposition. Email your best response to adam@bardsy.com for a chance to be featured!