If you’re a writer, you’ve no doubt spent a lot of time staring at a blank page. If you’re a reader, you’ve probably read some things and said to yourself, “Really? This person thought people would enjoy reading this piece of detritus?” Well, this post is for the former, so that your readers won’t feel like the latter. There are a few different kinds of writing. A basic list of these includes: poetry, fiction, review/opinion, research, guides, and biographical or autobiographical writing.
If you’re writing a guide, an opinion/review piece, or a research paper, the idea portion of the creative process is done. You’re writing about X. It’s been assigned or chosen from a list. All that remains is to do so in an interesting, easy to read, and well thought way. If you consider yourself a writer, this is very likely the easiest part. You string words together to make a thought, rearrange those words to make a more interesting thought, and leave ‘em alone… until you come back to proof and revise. Do a good job here, and folks will enjoy reading your words, provided the content is of interest to them.
Conversely, poetry, fiction, or biographical/autobiographical writing is a beast from start to finish. The ever elusive creative inspiration is the cornerstone of this kind of writing. If it’s nowhere to be found, the page will remain blank. The words must be written and refined to the point of being pithy, interesting, poignant, and powerful. This kind of writing needs to evoke an emotional response from the reader in order to be more memorable. If you can make your reader cry, smile, laugh, or move them to action, you’ve done what you set out to do.
Where does this inspiration come from? After a long, frustrating search, here are the best sources for creative inspiration I could come up with:
Widespread Panic
Listen to some music – Old, new, whatever, just listen. Try to pay attention to what’s being said, how it’s being sung, and the space between the words. Listen to the instruments and how they play off of one another. Does the guitar keep a steady groove that drives the song? Is there an irregular drum beat that’s hard to keep time with? What do these things make you think about? Write it down.
Where does the path go?
Take a walk – There’s a lot to see out there. Watch nature, or people interacting with it. Did that person just leave a pile of dog poo on the sidewalk? Are there way too many loud cars in your neighborhood? Close your eyes, take a deep breath. What do you smell or hear? Write about it.
Social Lurkers are Everywhere
Be a social lurker – Are you on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or any of the myriad social networking sites? If so, have a poke around there. People are always talking about all sorts of things in the world of social media. Something is bound to pique your interest or make you angry enough to drag the ole soapbox out for a quick rant. If you’re worth your salt, you won’t be worried about what others think, as long as they think. Piss someone off if you have to. Anger is an emotional response.
Laurel and Hardy
If all else fails, be quiet – Disconnect from everything; no laptop, no iPod, no TV, just sit or lie down and see where your mind takes you. Do you see colorful, almost indescribable images when your eyes are closed? Is it impossible to turn down the volume of your mind when there is nothing else to block out the sound of thinking? This dark, quiet time is an incredible resource for creativity. Get inside your own head. There’s a lot more in there than you give yourself credit for. You can even use this method in conjunction with one of the others. Get a basic idea from music, a walk, or social media, then ponder on it, quietly. Who knows what will come out, but it’ll be all you.
“Inspiration, move me brightly. Light the song with sense and color, hold away despair.” – The Grateful Dead “Terrapin Station”
Well done. I generally spend much more time in research than the actual writing, but when I do hit the block wall, I lay down and just try and clear my mind.
That works pretty fast since there isn’t much up there to begin with.
chas
Chas, your writing is largely research based. You’ve gotta have your facts straight or folks will set you on fire, right after they crucify you.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
So true…I have stared at my fair share of blank pages or blank word doc. I like to take mini breaks if I’m really struggling – listen to some Trance like Above & Beyond, their instrumental stuff really soothes my mind but it also gets it flowing. I think alot of times ideas pop in my head while doing other things so I’m glad my iphone has that voice memo thingy…works great!! Great article Dan!!
Judy, I really need to make better (or some) use of the voice recorder on my iPhone. I’m almost never without it. Thanks for the reminder/suggestion.I’m also gonna check out Above & Beyond.
Thanks for stopping by, for reading, and for commenting.
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