How to Stimulate Your Writing
By Shyxter Tagapulot
Writing can be a very gratifying experience but there are also challenging moments when the creative well turns dry and you need to stimulate your writing. Even the most successful authors come to a blank point in the middle of their writing. There are days when you spend long hours in front of your laptop, thinking what to write next. When you already have an idea but cannot seem to translate it into words, what you have is a writer’s block. But when you completely have no clue on what to write, then you are experiencing a lack of inspiration.
As a writer, what do you do when you’re in an uninspired state? Do you take a proactive move to find the inspiration that you need? If you look well, these sources of inspiration are just around the corners of your life – from the people around you, your surroundings, your experiences, and from within yourself.
Here are some ways to stimulate your writing and find creative inspiration:
1. Pick a nice writing room
If you like to work from home, pick an adequately lit area with a window that lets you see a nice view outside. Don’t choose a dim room because it will make you sleepy while you write. And don’t forget to surround your writing room with special and beautiful things. You can hang a portrait of your family, set a flower vase with colorful and fragrant flowers, or place a picturesque landscape on the wall. For a more stimulating effect, light scented candles with basil or peppermint oils to energize your senses.
Add some patches of pastel colors too, like pink, yellow, or blue. These light colors are mind-enriching and promote good thinking and sharp memory.
2. Listen to relaxing music
There are times when the best way to stimulate your writing comes from deep inside you, like when you are doing creative writing. An effective way to internalize and get into a trance state is by listening to soothing melodies that aren’t loaded with words. Instrumental music or one that imitates the sounds of nature will relax and allow you to contemplate deeper.
3. Be updated on local and international news
Being well-informed of what’s happening in your area and around the world also helps you get great ideas to write about. Find time to watch the daily news or read news articles on the Internet. There are lots of stories, good and bad, about life in this world and you can draw ideas from people’s experiences.
4. Read books and magazines
Reading will always inspire a writer in ways that can never be equaled by any other means. It is through this activity that you are able to discover and learn from the creativity of other writers. Books will widen your knowledge and understanding on certain facts about life while magazines will allow you to appreciate different ways of life from different kinds of people.
5. Reminisce about your childhood
Every person’s childhood has happy and even sad memories to draw inspiration from. Childhood years are considered to be the most important time in a person’s life because it is during this time that we learn the fundamental lessons in life. These are the years that form a person’s character. Almost all first times in life happen during childhood. These memories, whether happy or painful, present lots of thoughts and perspectives that can inspire you and get your creativity flowing. So in times when you are looking for inspiration, go back to your inner child and find experiences that you can write about.
These are just a few things that you can do to stimulate your writing. I’m sure you have other ideas too. Please feel free to share them in the comments section.
Shyxter Tagapulot is a Filipino writer and internet marketer. She is a site author at http://www.musesland.com – a website meant to inspire writers and help them explore their creativity, with over 170 ways leading to the path of creative discovery.
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