We’ve all been there. You have an idea, something that you want to write, but you just don’t have the energy or inspiration to get it started. Sometimes, you’ll be on the other side. You want to write, but you have no idea what to write. Very often, our brains will get stuck and fall into a well of procrastination and boredom, and sometimes it’s just a case of reigniting that fire you had before everything went downhill. Back to the time when you had the inspiration to write.
Here then, are some tips and tricks I sometimes use to help me get back on track:
1. Read Books
It seems fairly simple, just read it. Although this signifies everything that you want to achieve, sometimes reading what other writers have come up with can help to spark your creative streak. Whilst reading you can completely submerge yourself into their narrative and learn to understand what they want out of their writing. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your inspiration somewhere in between those words.
2. Watch Films and Television
I know it seems like I’m promoting procrastination, but this is not what I mean. By this, return to an old favourite, something that you have watched a dozen times over and know almost every line. Sometimes I find my inspiration from old episodes of shows I watched as a kid and scenes that I didn’t put that much thought into when I first watched them. Watching these shows from a different angle or different lens, focusing on different areas in the mise-en-scene can really help us to find that inspiration we were looking for.
3. Take a break
Sometimes, trying to force inspiration is not a proactive way of going about things. Sometimes, you just have to take a step back and realise that you just can’t do it. Things can get easier when you accept that you can’t do them and decide to leave them for a day. Often a fresh look at something can spark inspiration that you didn’t know was still there.
Most of the time, you just have to let the inspiration find you.
4. Hang out with friends
Although seemingly counterproductive to what you are trying to achieve, social interaction is sometimes a great way to spark that inspiration you seem to have lost. Speaking with others, and hearing how they talk can help your brain to construct dialogue, and you’ll find that story that you have been waiting to write just appearing in your head as though it has been there all along.
5. Find another hobby
Writing is often our hobby, and sometimes it is our job. But most of the time, when you get stuck with writing, it is best to find another activity to help you unwind. Something to take your mind off writing. It is never an ideal situation to try and force the inspiration to come. If you do this, you’ll find yourself worrying about whether you can truly write anything anymore. Sometimes, it is just best to find something new to occupy your time, and you’ll find yourself back to writing in no time.
6. Write Practice Chapters
Often the way to find inspiration to write is that you are trying to write a boring but important scene. In your heart, you don’t want to write it because you know that a more exciting scene is coming up and you just want to write that, but you know in your head that the story will only make sense if you write another scene before it. Sometimes, it is better and often easier, just to write the chapter that you want to write. No rule says you need to write your whole manuscript in one solid piece and chronologically. That’s what editing is for. If you have an idea for an exciting chapter halfway through the book, go on and write it, then come back to the chapter you need to write afterwards.
7. Playing Games
This is something I often do, and quite frankly, I’m not too proud of it. It is the highest form of procrastination, but I can’t help it. Video games have often helped me with my inspiration, by letting me follow an exciting storyline only to give me a great idea for my characters. These games have been handcrafted and written by expert scriptwriters, so in a sense I am watching theatre, but in an interactive way.
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