Where Inspiration Lives

In order to develop their creativity, great writers take inspiration from other forms of art, delve into their own memories, allow their ideas to develop, and make room for the subconscious. Read a lot, research writers, movies, music, and other artistic mediums that you enjoy, and then try to modify rather than imitate their methods. Use your own life as material; stories often feel authentic and universal when they are based on childhood memories, feelings, anxieties, and personal struggles. Slowing down can also boost creativity. Take a walk, think, spend time alone, or unplug from technology to allow ideas to come to you organically. If you jot down your dreams and half-remembered thoughts as soon as you wake up, they can serve as powerful sources of inspiration. Lastly, think of ideas as you would a plant: they begin as tiny, hazy sensations or pictures and require time, experimentation, and observation to develop into complete narratives.

Journal Prompts

What is one story, book, movie, song, or memory that made you feel something strongly, and what exactly caused that feeling?
If you had to describe your childhood (or any period of your life) in only three images, what would they be and why?
Write down one problem, fear, or frustration you have right now. If it were turned into a fictional story, what would the story look like?
What is something ordinary you noticed today (a conversation, object, sound, or place)? How could that ordinary thing become strange, dramatic, or meaningful in a story?
Imagine someone else wrote your life story. What would they get wrong about you, and what would they get right?