Scribble, scratch & repeat! Inspiration to write
There will always be days when you will struggle to write a single paragraph, even if you love writing. It could be a case of mental stress, writer’s block, personal struggles or as simple as the mundanity of the subject on hand. Everyone needs inspiration, more so if you are a writer as creating something new needs truckloads of concentration and dedication.
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These are some ways by which you can keep the inspiration to write:
Go to a public place or a place of solitude
If you are in a public place, observe the people walking around, take notice of the little eccentricities in each of them, bask in the beauty of how different everyone is. Listen to what they are talking, but don’t eavesdrop, if you pick up something that affects you in a positive way, jot it down in your diary. If you are not someone who doesn’t like a lot of noise but prefer solitude when anxious, then go to a secluded spot in your home or a place of worship (as it is usually silent), listen to the sounds of nature, take a few deep breaths and let go. Sit silently for some time without thinking about any of the things that bothers you. Sooner or later, you will get that dose of inspiration.
Word associations
Pick a word randomly from a dictionary and write down anything that comes to your mind when you think of that word. Open any random book and read what is written in there. Watch a few minutes of television show which is in a completely different language. All of these things open up your mind to a possibilities and helps jumpstart your imagination.
Sit in front of the idiot box
Well, you read it right. Some of the best writing can be found in the dialogues of your favorite TV shows. Observe the storytelling methods, closely listen to the dialogues, see how some of them are dramatic and packs a punch while others are of the plain Jane variety but still keeps you on your toes. Is the narration linear? Can you imagine other ways for the story to be told, perhaps in a non-linear narrative or organizing multiple speakers to talk about one concept, called petal structure or in any other super innovative way? What can you add to the narrative? Get a sack of inspiration from these writers and start yours.
Keep it simple
You don’t have to sound smart with gaudy words to accentuate your talent, keep it simple. Writing gets easier once you use simple words to employ your thoughts. People enjoy reading write-ups that are simple.
Engage yourself in something mundane
Clean your room, do the dishes or wash your clothes, anything that is mundane. Why mundane? Have you realized that when you are doing something extremely boring your thoughts tend to wander randomly? Exactly. We are waiting for that whiff of inspiration for you to continue writing.
Music
Who do you dig? I like listening to The Beatles, Ilayaraja, ARR and Amit Trivedi. It gives me a sense of calm and most importantly, I am happy. Listen to your favorite numbers without a thought in the world. What do the songs relay? Would you tinker with the lyrics? If yes, why? Think deeply to find such answers.
Do something that you’ve never tried before
Go to Duolingo and learn the basics of Spanish, see if you can learn a few sentences in German or watch a Tamil movie without subtitles. Your creativity will see a spurt because you are opening up your mind to a completely new experience.
Write on Quora
Duh, aren’t you talking about ways to be inspired to write, you may ask. Answer simple questions from strangers on the Internet. Are there questions on Quora whose answers when written would open up your soul? Try writing them. Be who you are, write from your heart.
There are a hundred other ways for you to get inspired to write, these are the things that inspire me to write when I am bogged down by negativity and discouragement. Get energy and motivation to come up with brilliant ideas for writing. Use the comment section to tell us other ways by which you work your magic on writing?