Tips For Beginning Writers: How And Where To Find Inspiration

WRITING INSPIRATION

How does one find writing inspiration as a beginning writer? Read further to find out!

How to Find Inspiration

(Nobel Prize winning author, Toni Morrison)

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

–Toni Morrison

genius.com

• One can always invoke “the Muse”: Homer, the Greek poet, began his epic poems with an Invocation to the Muse.

What is meant by “muse,” exactly?

“In Greek mythology, the nine muses are goddesses of various arts such as music, dance, and poetry. Their own giftedness in the arts were unparalleled and helped both gods and mankind to forget their troubles. They also inspired musicians and writers to strive to reach greater creative and intellectual heights.”

• When that doesn’t work, think about what it is you like to read. What do you want to say? What sort of message do you want to convey? What themes are you drawn to?
• Re-visit the great artists: since we’re in a time of lock-down, visiting museums is virtually impossible but this is a time to get creative. We all have information at our fingertips (with our smartphones and laptops). If you cannot visit a library, simply research whatever you want using simple key words.
• Dust off some old books. If you’re in search of writing inspiration, visit your bookshelf and look at the titles you own. You may be surprised what you find!
• Watch documentaries about art and artists; writing inspiration doesn’t necessarily have to come from other writers. Inspiration can come from painters, photographers, songwriters and musicians, dancers, filmmakers, etc.
• Research writers with whom you identify.

(theecologist.org)

Some of the Most Noteworthy Inspiration Comes from Nature

• Use nature to inspire creative writing.
• Take what you see in your natural surroundings and use those images to begin a writing prompt. This is when carrying a small journal or notebook comes in handy.
• Visit writingforward.com for 12 nature-inspired creative writing prompts; these will help those who feel stuck and/or uninspired.
• Write down what you see, hear, smell, and feel. These details will make for wonderful imagery in your writing. The more details, the better. If you can describe what you see with words and convey that in your writing, you’re onto something!
• Remember not to judge the work; whatever you write is yours and yours alone. Just the simple act of writing is rewarding in itself.

(Insightla.org)

Famous Ways of Finding Writing Inspiration

One may wonder how great writers find inspiration. According to thejohnfox.com, there are a myriad of fun and interesting ways that writers we know and love motivate themselves when it comes to finding ideas

From Inspiration for Writers: 50 Famous Authors Share What Inspires them to Write (by Bookfox):

• Donna Tartt visits yard sales (this helped inspire her to write the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Goldfinch (2013))
• Ian McEwan: Really listen to your parents’/grandparents’ stories
• Judy Blume: Go people-watching and imagine their lives
• Raymond Carver: Embellish your own life
• Cormac McCarthy: Talk to people

For more information on the topics discussed in this blog, consult the websites listed below:

https://writingcooperative.com/how-to-use-nature-to-inspire-creative-writing-c214300a4e1e
https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/12-nature-inspired-creative-writing-prompts
https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2015/09/14/epic-poetry-what-is-a-muse/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Homer-Greek-poet
https://thejohnfox.com/2016/06/writing-inspiration/

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