5 Writing Inspiration Tips

1. Music

Music is the #1 way I get inspiration. I love listening to music during a fight scene and typing to the beat of the music. Music gets your creative brain active and keeps the wheels turning. I personally listen to fantasy orchestra music Epic Music NV, Two Steps from Hell, Hans Zimmer, and Epic Music World. I also love listening to movie soundtracks like Star Wars, The Last Sameri, How to Train Your Dragon, Skyrim, Narnia, and Lord of the Rings.

2. Nature

For me, I'm surrounded by flat plains and fields upon fields of corn in the rural Midwest countryside. Nature is everywhere. When I feel stuck on a scenery description, I peer out my window and view the lush green landscape of Irish pines, wild prairies, and a babbling brook. Now, not everyone lives in the country or has a window of landscape beauty, but everyone does have a magical doorway that leads to the great outdoors. For my fellow introvert friends, this might be painful to do and leave the safety of your bubble (I'm right there with you), but as a writer, you need to take that leap of faith and venture into the unknown (yes, Elsa is singing in my head right now). Explore your neighborhood, a park, or even your backyard (or your dog's neighbors, sister's, cat's, aunt's back yard). Explore and take pictures of anything that inspires you. Later, when you need a little nature pick me up, it's there already on your phone or camera.

3. Art

Shocking, I know, but even I get stuck when describing a scene from another world where dragons soar over misty mountains and my little window isn't enough to go on. Describing enchanting lands and fairy filled forests glowing with neon colors of gold, green, and jasmine are not the easiest things in the world to do with words (can I get an amen?) Pintrest has become one of my best friends when I need help with describing a world or setting. I'm a visual person and it helps to have a visual in front of me to narrate the setting of the world I'm trying to create. Now, I'm not saying, "Go to Pintrest and find a cool picture to write down and copy stroke by stroke in your book (there is a thing called copyright remember)." Your world should come from your own imagination, but it does help to have some sort of visual, especially when the scene you want to portray in your story is on the tip of your tongue, but stubborn and not wanting to form the way you want.

4. People

For my extrovert readers, this one is for you. If you are struggling with a character profile or creating a character, go interact with your friends and family. Take a mental note of facial details like eye color and hair color combos, do they have any facial markings like scars or freckles, body builds, and unique traits. You don't have to sit down and sketch them in perfect detail (I mean you could. It is a free country after all). Also, watch their interactions with family members vs friends. How do they flirt with their love interest? These details might come in handy to write down, especially if you are single or have no romantic experience to grab onto for context.

5. Journal of Words/Phrases

I am an introvert and a people watcher, but I also like listening in to conversations (no, I am not a stalker. I'm just really observant). People say hilarious stuff all the time to their friends and I love writing down what they say to use for later when I want to add humor in my book. Also, I work with kids for a living and boy do they say the craziest stuff. Jot down dialogue between people you find hilarious or at least curious enough to write down. I have a google doc on my phone ready for me to jot snapshots of entertaining dialogue my characters might have. Whenever I need some inspiration for humor or unique words/phrases, more often than not, I go to my word/phrases staff and pull something from there.

#reading #writing #lessons

#reading #writing #lessons