37 Ways To Go To Writing Inspiration If It Doesn’t Come To You

Does love for writing equate to an inspiration that is always in abundance? The short answer is an emphatic no. I have come to accept that no matter how much I love writing, there is certain time when I am just not inspired. Since inspiration forms part of the tools of the trade when it comes to writing, if it does not come to you, you will have to go to it.

While there are some obvious places where you can get inspiration, I have since come to accept that it can arrive from the most unlikely of sources. In this article, I have taken some of my favorite ways by which I find inspiration and compiled them into a list of 37. Some of them you would expect to see on a list such as this one, some of them will surprise you.

1. Life

I always think that life, as it is, is a miracle. When I see people who grind every day to keep things going, I get lots of inspiration.

2. Blogs

Blogs cover a variety of topics. The blogs that really work for me are those where other writers share their journeys and give tips to others.

3. The Movies

In the movies, my inspiration comes from the things characters do and say. Sometimes the inspiration is in the way the camera is used to juxtapose the landscape and the other aspects of the film.

4. People

I love to watch everyday people doing amazing things. As a writer, you must try this; go out and sit at the local park, mall or street corner and you will see how people will surprise you.

5. Money

I discovered that money can be a great source of inspiration when I worked writing essays for college students. Students ordered papers from us and we got paid quite well for every paper we helped the students to write.

6. Books

Every time I read a book by a good writer, I feel inspired. The books that inspire me more are fiction books as I think you need to be more creative to write a fiction book.

7. Stories of Success

There is something inspirational about a story about the success of ordinary people. There is nothing which says everything is possible than seeing people change.

8. Eavesdropping

I know we were all taught that eavesdropping is a rude thing to do. I threw away this advice right through the window when I became a writer. I am inspired by things I should not have heard.

9. Doing New Things

Every time I do something that I did not think I loved, I get a new perspective on it. I have received a lot of inspiration from things that I never thought I could do.

10. Magazines

I love the way the people who do magazines lay their work. They can make you buy a copy even if you did not mean to buy one. I find inspiration in knowing that they keep selling different stories month after month.

11. Flickr

Flickr is a whole world of its own. If you look at the photography on Flicker.com, you will see that the world has great possibilities.

12. Forums

Forums on different topics have allowed people an opportunity to express themselves. Sometimes the people who contribute to these forums do not know it, but they can say things that can trigger something new in me.

13. Brainstorming

If you feel as if you are getting out of ideas, try just writing whatever ideas come into your head about a topic. Later you will be amazed by those little nuggets of good ideas you will see.

14. Art

The reason why I love visiting the local art gallery is because I find a lot of inspiration in art. When I look at a piece of art, I can’t help myself, I just start asking questing’s that bring amazing answers.

15. Google

Okay, I know that there is nothing better than Google when you feel as if you do not have any more ideas to squeeze out of your heard.

16. Free Writing

Freewriting means exactly that, writing freely without worrying about what you are writing and what you are writing it for. The one thing I love about free writing is that I do not have to think at all.

17. Music

As I write this, I am playing some music in the background. Musicians come up with the most amazing of ideas that get me thinking.

18. Shakespeare

Shakespeare is to me a synonym of what great creativity means. The thing that inspires me about him is that he writes simple stories that have a huge impact.

19. Writing Groups

The internet has made connecting with other writers very easy. When I see other writers doing great things, I know that it is possible and I want to write more after that.

20. Friends

The greatest things about friends is that they talk freely. With my friends, we leave our inhibitions at the door. It is in the small talk that I sometimes get my greatest inspiration.

21. Poetry

Poetry has a way of taking language and making it look unique. It has a way of telling stories that would otherwise not have been told in prose.

22. Advertisements

I think that people who write advertisements are some of the most creative in the world. They tell stories within 30 seconds that move millions to buy their products.

23. Quotes

Quotations have a way of stating truths in short but powerful ways. I love quotes because they give me a chance to tap into the minds of great personalities.

24. Nature

I live near a big dam. When I am stuck for ideas I just go out and look at the silver water, the grass and trees as they meet the city, and inspiration starts to flow.

25. Journal

A journal helps me to write things before I forget. I keep one everywhere I go, even besides my bed as I sleep for you never know when a good idea will strike.

26. History

History has a way of telling us what those who came before us have gone through. When I look at the struggles of the past and how we live as if they didn’t happen, I find great ideas for new stories.

27. Dreams

As a writer, I have often realized that dreams do not keep within the confined lanes of reality. They bring the dead back to life and make the poor rich. They tell stories in a way we could never do.

28. Newspapers

Newspapers tell the stories of people on a daily basis. The reason why they sell day after day is because lots of people find inspiration in the news they tell.

29. Travel

Whether you are going to new places where you have never been or you are going to a place you have seen a million times, you can see new things that inspire you. Always attempt to see the new things where you travel.

30. Children

I used to be a teacher and often eavesdropped when children didn't know that I was listening. Just listen to them speak and they will give you ideas you would never have had in a million years.

31. Religion

It does not matter what religion you are talking about; all of them have amazing stories that can get your imagination going.

32. Exercise

I run a lot around my neighborhood. Every time I run, I see new things. I get to think without being disturbed.

33. Architecture

Buildings tell stories of an age and time. Every time I see a unique building I start to think about the story that it tells and its times.

34. Clothes

The clothes that people put on say more about then than anything they can ever say with the own mouths.

35. Food

I find writing inspiration in food; not only that it gives me energy but rather that it tells stories of the people who prepare and eat the food.

36. Animals

I have a dog and even though she does no talk, she gives me lots of inspiration for my writing from the things she does. I always wonder what is going on in her mind, and that can give me ideas for my stories.

37. Television

With so many channels around, I always see new things in the soap operas, the talk shows, and sitcoms.

I am sure that by now you know that as a writer, everything you see around you can be a great source of inspiration. I am sure that you now agree with me that if inspiration does not come to you, you go to it.

Tia Moreen is a writer, entrepreneur and traveler, who was a Co-founder of EssayHub. Now she mostly works as a blog editor. Loves book-crossing and cooking.