From the Fiction Desk

The business of writing involves long hours and a lot of perspiration. The role of inspiration must not be taken lightly. Inspiration is the flash across the writers mind which wraps itself into the fictional story, poem, or article that is being written. From the seed of inspiration the piece grows organically and must be constantly feed to keep the writer going. How can a writer stay inspired to write?

Inspiration can come from countless sources of everyday events to the unique and exotic. One way for the writer to stay inspired is to stay connected to the world. Writers will want to isolate themselves to write and often miss out on the events that surround them. Step outside of the everyday close off the door world and step into the real world to find inspiration. See what people are doing, watch the crowds and ask to yourself what their stories in life maybe. A single conversation can reap countless story, poem, or article ideas.

Doing something new and stepping out of the comfort zone is another way to find inspiration. Human beings can be caught up in their regularly scheduled life. Thos rut of life can drain away inspiration and lead to writing, and living, the same monotony day in and out. Years ago, at a writers conference, an editor asked the audience “what makes your story different from the hundreds of other ones in the market?” This question should also be applied to the writers life and their approach to the art of writing. If your writing looks stale and uninspired, do not ask what is wrong with you writing. Ask what is wrong with your source of inspiration. What have you done today to be different from yesterday that may generate a unique view of your stories?

Do you have a second art? Do you paint, draw, play an instrument? A. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes would often be found scratching at an instrument while trying to untangle a puzzle. It was this focus on the second art that allowed the mind to freshly tear at the puzzle. Artist have used the same method trough out time. By changing the stimuli, and still being creative, the creative juices can be refocused and pooled elsewhere.

Should all else fail to bring the writer inspiration, there is another thing you can do—especially if you feel the weight of writers block crushing you. Do something mindlessly monotonous. Some writers will clean and others may go to the gym or for a walk. The mindless monotony will help squeeze out the creative juices, for creativity wants to be doing something that is not mind numbing.

While writing is filled with the arduous task of getting the words on paper and rewriting, editing, and rewriting again, inspiration must be tended to. It must be nurtured for it to produce the fruit of our work—take time to push yourself away from what you know and try something new to break out of the mold in which a writer can create for themselves.

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com for the articles, blogs, poems and stories that I write.