5 Ways to Get Inspired to Write

When you begin to draft your story including developing the plot, characters, and all them necessities, it is kind of like you are following a recipe in your favourite cookbook, and one of the most important ingredients you need to write a good story is inspiration. This can be found in all sorts of places, though when writer's block strikes it can seem very difficult to find this. Therefore, in this blog post, I am going to give you 5 ways in which I find inspiration myself to write the story I so desperately want to share.

1. Nature: Sometimes taking a break from technology and the popular Netflix series is the best thing to do to refresh your creative mind and relieve writer's block that has plagued your thoughts and stopped you from continuing your writing passion. Nature is all around us so it shouldn't be too difficult to find your favourite walk that inspires you as soon as you step foot onto the land. There is also the chance that on your little vacation from the modern world you may meet someone or see something extraordinary that gives you a new idea to weave into your story or act as a prompt that allows you to start writing creatively again. For me, I have two special places in nature that I find most inspiring. The first one is Paull which is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. There is something about the fresh air, the old lighthouses and the blue water that sends inspiration flowing throughout me. I never fail to leave the village without a new idea to put into my story or maybe even a new idea altogether. My next favourite place is Goathland where part of Harry Potter was filmed at the train station! Though my favourite place is the hidden waterfalls where a sparkling lake weaves through a path of the tallest trees, a setting taken straight out of your most favourite fairy-tale. When I was little I used to think that the waterfalls were the home of the fairies and I even wrote a poetry book about it including pictures from my first adventure there.

2. Music: I've always liked to believe that music is just like poetry, a literary form where images and ideas are expressed through only little words. Not only this, but music also tells a story, therefore this is the perfect way to gather inspiration for your next story idea! Not only will the heartfelt and thoughtful lyrics inspire your characters and plot, but also the melodic and perhaps lively music will send ideas swirling throughout your mind. An example could be a love song that holds a sorrowful tone to the music, perhaps inspiring you to write a story of a love that was not meant to be, or someone who has lost the love of their life. Another great thing about music is that you can listen to it wherever and whenever. Either play it through earphones and fully enjoy every note and lyric, or blast it though your speakers and dance to all the latest songs without a care in the world, livening your spirit to make you excited for this new story you're about to write.

3. Read other Books:  This step is extremely helpful if you are struggling to find your voice or how you are going to start your novel in an impactful way that will make your readers want to read more. Reading other author's books, especially best-selling ones that attracted thousands of readers, can help you to do exactly that. On a rainy day when you have no work to do, gather all of your favourite books and see what attracted you to them the most. The cover? If so, make your own! Not only is this a fun activity as you try out all sorts of pictures and different colours, it will inspire you to keep on writing in order to give your cover purpose. Or perhaps the blurb was the thing that attracted you to the book. If this is the case, look through all your notes you've made on your plot so far and write your own. This is a great way to inspire yourself to keep on writing as it gives you an overall idea as to what characters are in your story, what their goal is, and what obstacle is standing in their way. These 3 elements are crucial for a good story plot.

4. Start a Dream Journal: Sometimes the best ideas for a story happen right when we are asleep. Amazing, right? The only problem is: our dreams can be particularly hard to remember. One minute you are recalling every tiny detail from your magnificent dream, and then the next you can hardly  remember what it was even about. This is where the dream journal comes in extremely handy. As soon as you wake up from a dream be sure to write down everything that happened, even if you are still half-asleep because you don't know how long you'll remember it for. Overtime this job will become much easier as dreams become more vivid and you'll be able to remember them better. Rereading your dreams is a great way of getting inspired because they can start to link together forming one huge plot line, giving you the perfect start to writing a story you wouldn't have thought of whilst awake.

5. Start a blog: Sometimes taking a step back from your character's life and finding your own voice through non-fiction can help you in finding your individual writing style, therefore this tip can specifically help for those who have lots of ideas but can't find the right words to put them down into story form. You can write about anything you want, ranging from product reviews to an event that happened to you in your everyday life. Even though you my be the only person who reads the posts at first, your blog also acts as your personal diary to look back on when you're older.