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Inspiration & Motivation
Inspiring or motivating a writer involves a blend of practical strategies, emotional support, and self-care. Key approaches include setting clear goals, building a supportive community, and incorporating various sources of inspiration.
- Practical Strategies and Mindset: Set Clear, Manageable Goals: Break down large projects into smaller, short-term and long-term goals. Celebrate each milestone to maintain momentum and a sense of progress.
- Establish a Routine/Discipline: Writing consistently, even for short periods daily, builds the habit and keeps the project top-of-mind. As the saying goes, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work”.
- Change Scenery: If feeling stuck, a change of location—a different room, a café, or a walk in nature—can provide a fresh perspective and spark creativity.
- Experiment with the Process: Break from a formulaic process to reinvigorate creativity. Try writing the ending first, using a visual prompt instead of a headline, or just free-writing a “stream of consciousness” without judgment.
- Embrace Self-Care: A healthy balance between writing and overall well-being is vital to avoid burnout. Encourage activities like exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones to recharge.
- Seek Inspiration and Connection: Read Widely: Immersing oneself in excellent literature, across different genres and styles, can provide fresh ideas and remind the writer of the power of storytelling.
- Engage with Other Arts & the World: Music, paintings, movies, and simply observing the world and people around you can provide an endless well of ideas for characters and storylines.Overcoming Obstacles
- Acknowledge and Tackle Self-Doubt: Self-doubt and the “inner critic” are common enemies of creativity. Using techniques like the “This is Shit” technique (typing critical thoughts in brackets and moving on) can help manage these voices.
- Remember the “Why“: Reconnecting with the initial passion and purpose for writing provides a driving force through difficult patches.
- Research and Exploration: Deep diving into research about a subject, setting, or characters can transform a feeling of being stuck into a new avenue for inspiration.
Ultimately, the goal is to help the writer cultivate an environment that fosters creativity and discipline while being kind to themselves during the challenging yet rewarding writing journey.
Keep a Clipping File
Mary Emma Allen
I keep a clipping file for my own writing and suggest that teachers do this to use in the classroom. Also encourage older student writers to keep their own files. When I teach writing in schools, I often pull out my clipping folder for youngsters to use.
Ideas Escape Me
Linda S. Dupie
Have you ever said, “I have nothing to write about.” It’s just not true. You have plenty look around. Everywhere you go; everywhere you look there are hundreds of ideas. You have to open your eyes and mind and let them in.
Beyond the Basics
Linda S. Dupie
The tools of a writer go beyond pen and paper or your word processor. Writers also use non-tangible tools like observation and ideas. You need to be aware of your surroundings, recognize and capitalize on ideas, and have the ability to conduct research.
Fiction vs Nonfiction
The fiction vs nonfiction comparison presented in the following article should help understand the basic differences between these types of literary works.
How To Write Your Own Press Releases
By Megan Potter
Writing press releases is a relatively easy way to make money, once you get all the essentials down. Anyone can write press releases in their spare time as a means to supplement their creative income. All that they need is a little bit of marketing and practice. Writing Corner wants to be sure you know everything there is to know about writing press releases.
Knowing and Finding Your Voice
By Shirley Kawa-Jump
Finding your true writing voice is a lot like falling in love — you know it when it happens. Until then, you bumble along, trying this style and that, wondering if this is it or if a better voice is out there just waiting for you. You question and doubt, reaching nearly the point of despair before finally, your true voice comes to you and you know exactly who you are as a writer.
Working with a Critique Group
By Shirley Kawa-Jump
Not all of us are objective about our work. In fact, if you asked even top authors if they are the best voice of reason over what works and doesn’t work in a given story, they’d probably say no. Why? We are too close to our writing to see the flaws. And to be quite honest, a piece of writing is a lot like a child–even if your kid is ugly in the eyes of other people, you see the beautiful creation of your genes. You don’t see the missing plot lines, the stilted dialogue, the flowering descriptions. You see art.
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