First thing first, tell yourself this; You are a writer. You got this! Done? Great now let us talk about that little hurdle that led you here. Inspiration is a slippery creature, and sometimes it evades us for days. It is normal, don’t feel super bad about it, it happens.

However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll have to twiddle your thumbs until inspiration hits you square in the chest. Good thing you don’t have to wait around wasting your time doing nothing. There are ways to lift that “writer’s block” and get inspired to write. Follow these tips, and you will be on your merry way!

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

-Sylvia Plath

What Makes A Writer Lose Inspiration?

We all went through it, the previous day your keyboard can barely keep up with your ideas, and now you can’t even write a word. So, what makes us enter this slump? No person is alike, and our circumstances may vary, but here are the common reasons why a writer loses inspiration.

Not the Time to Write

It is straightforward, really, this is not the right time for you to write. It may be you are not in the best state of mind, or you are preoccupied with a more pressing issue. You could be sick, having a personal problem or a family issue. Whatever that is, it must be solved first before you can focus back on your writing.

It can also be that your ideas are not ripe enough to be plucked. You may have this fantastic concept in your head, but it needs more time to be developed before you can write it down. Give it time, and when the timing is right, the ideas will flow naturally.

Fear of Critics

Many writers grapple with self-doubt. They are scared of putting their ideas and themselves out in public for scrutiny and criticism. After all, fear is one of the primary reasons while writers stopped being writers. It is hard, yes, but being brave and exposing yourself to potential ridicule will also open your doors for improvement.

Self-imposed Perfection

It is a natural reaction to want everything to be inline and in perfect harmony whenever you started writing. Remember, if you continue to try and have a complete idea flow inside your head before starting, it won’t happen. Result? You will never start anything. Nobody is perfect, and you will never be perfect. But it is not bad, as imperfection means progress and evolution. Start writing, and don’t worry about perfection.

16 Tips to Get that Inspiration

Meditate

Make it a habit to meditate for 20-30 minutes every before starting your day. It can also be done before beginning to write. The practice of meditation will support stress relief and frees your mind from negative and unproductive thoughts. Do this and you will feel invigorated and refreshed and will gain a new drive and purpose to write.

Stop Editing While Writing

You are a writer first and an editor second. Stop scrutinizing your work before it is even done. This behavior is very unproductive. So, what can you do? Make it impossible for you to edit by doing some extreme measures. You can write with the monitor turned off or turn the color of your text white. Yes, this will ultimately result in a crappy first draft, it is sure to be riddled with grammatical errors and misspells. But that is okay because what matters most is that you did write.

Be in the Presence of Masters

No, you don’t have to go out and interview pros and masters. But you can do the next best thing, visit their works. Take a trip to a museum and surround yourself with different kinds of art. It could be in the form of a painting, photographs, or sculpture, it doesn’t matter just focus on absorbing their art.

Remember seeing great art in other forms can stimulate you to produce your very own masterpiece. It doesn’t have to be a museum, you can visit a gallery, an opera, or a play. Whatever you decide on, make sure to feel the passion of the artists you just observed and experienced, then use it to fuel your craft.

Be One with Nature

Soak in nature, go for a walk, for a hike, anything. Because the possibility of nature inspiring your creative juices to come out is very high. After all, there’s something about wandering and roaming; it merely acts as a catalyst to evoke random thoughts. It is not unusual for ideas to come to you when you aren’t looking for them. Believe me, being one with nature will enchant you to the point of inspiration.

Read Books

Bear this in mind, a great writer is a great reader first. Browse a wide array of materials. If you specialize in non-fiction, then try some fiction for your reading for a change. If you write fiction, why not start reading non-fiction instead?

Reading different kinds of books or materials will broaden your horizons. Step out of your territory and explore, there are tons of writers out there and equally loads of good books for you to consume. Don’t be afraid to start something new.

Invest in Learning

It could be getting a short course at a local community college or taking an online course on writing. Whatever it is, make it to a point to invest in your knowledge. Remember, knowledge is power, so don’t shortchange yourself in acquiring more. Writing techniques and styles are evolving don’t lag behind. Strive to improve yourself, and you will find yourself writing more.

Appreciate your Own Work

Pat yourself on the pack; you deserve it. Here is what you can do, take any piece of your writing. Then look at positively, evaluate and praise it. Don’t be a critique for once. Be your number one fan! By appreciating your own work, you will not just reinforce your self-confidence but will also inspire you to keep up the excellent work.

Don’t Limit Yourself to Writing

Many of the world’s most thriving creatives, masters and artists had other hobbies that had zero connection with their main craft. You should pick up this habit too. You could try sketching or drawing, you could also try making music or learning to play an instrument. You can even start with pottery or sculpting if you want. Learn to express yourself aside from writing. Creativity comes in all forms and sizes, not just words. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Your passion for writing will not be doused off even if a new love comes around.

Observe Human Nature

No, we don’t encourage you to be a stalker or be creepy in any way. But this is an engaging and exciting exercise for any writer. Here is what you can do to do this activity, go to a busy public place, and just sit there with a cup of coffee in hand and watch people. They’ll interest you, encourage you, fascinate you.

Have you ever encountered a happy couple across the restaurant and wondered what made them so in love with each other? Have you ever walked past a group of old people chatting and thought about what fascinating experiences they had together to make them converse so animatedly?

People-watching can be an excellent stimulus for writing. By observing people you don’t know, you will be unbiased and will let their mysteries and unknown stories inspire you. You get to decide who they are in a story that you have formulated and imagine about their life.

Let the World Hear You

Always think about your future readers. Picture this what if Alexander Fleming gave up because studying because being a physician is hard? If he did, then this world will not know Penicillin. We would never benefit from this breakthrough if he gave up. The same thing can also be applied to you.

You never know who will read your work, your words may help teach, entertain, and motivate people. Your word matters, don’t rob the world of your genius. Go out there and show the world your story.

Say No to Routines

Don’t imprison yourself to mundane life. Get out of your shell and perceive things from a fresh perspective. If you usually take the bus to work, why not take the train sometimes? If your everyday life consists of getting up, preparing for work, and leaving, why not add exercising in the morning or cooking and eating a hearty breakfast? If you regularly watch Netflix at the end of the day to relax, why not try reading or doing other relaxations for a change? Don’t be inside a cage, reinvent your life.

Play Music

It can be classical music to excite your brain or country songs, it doesn’t matter. It can be modern songs too if you want. Music has the composer and the singer’s soul in it. You could pick a lot from them. Fill your eardrums with notes of love, happiness, or sadness, and you might be shocked that inspiration is just around the corner.

Watch Movies

It might sound unproductive at first, but hear me out. Sometimes, in movies, a character will say something so “quotable,” and it will have your mind racing for ideas. It might be a painful goodbye, a cheesy declaration of love, or just a badass quote.

Let us face it, sometimes screenwriters are a fountain of exquisite dialogs. If not by the conversation you might also be inspired by the film location, the camera work, or the raw emotion of actors.

Ask This Question: What if?

Bear in mind, those thought-provoking questions lead to fascinating answers. Dare to ask the difficult questions. If Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios did not envision a shared cinematic universe between superhero movies, MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) would never be born.

Remember, embrace your inner weirdo, be brave enough to challenge the norm, ask questions. These thoughts create an open-ended area for exploration and will ultimately give you new material to work on. What if you do this? What if you don’t?

Go on a Retreat

Embark on a trip to self-discovery. Go on a retreat, you can bring a few books but zero electronics. Unplug yourself and be alone. Spend time with yourself with just your thoughts and dreams. Reflect and contemplate on the steps that you need to take to advance your writing career. Even Bill Gates goes on a retreat for two weeks every year to think about Microsoft’s future and his charity foundation. Do this, and you might be surprised on what you will find within yourself.

Just Write

This technique is proven to be one of the best ways to get back your groove when blankness hits you. Simply start writing, anything really. It doesn’t matter what it is, just do it! Don’t bother editing, don’t pause, and don’t think about it. Just write and let it flow, embrace your words.

Sure, you’ll end up with a lot of incoherent ideas along the way, but the important thing is, you let it all out. Who knows, maybe somewhere in that sea of random thoughts a hidden pearl is just hiding beneath the surface.

Wrap-Up

Writing is hard, but it is fulfilling, as well. You know this more than anyone else. Hitting a block is normal, nothing to be ashamed of, however staying down is a different story.

Don’t stay down and look for ways to write again. Persevere until you hit a breakthrough. These steps are proven to help me, and other writers wriggle out of a stump. Do this, and you will find inspiration everywhere. Don’t stop and be yourself. Now go out there and write!

A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.

-Richard Bach