WRITING INSPIRATION!

What inspires you to write?

It can be more than one thing: a place or location, a song, a movie, reading, a TV show, a picture, another person or couple, dancing the jig. 

I'm sure there are more. These are just the ones off the top of my head, and where I tend to draw inspiration. 

My mood is also a factor and I think the weather is too. If it's gloomy or rainy (Florida here, it doesn't get much worse than that) I can start to feel down or sad even. If I'm writing or needing to write a depressing, emotionally struggling scene that works wonders for my inspiration, but what if it's sunny and I'm still sad? Or what if my mood is undecided, like it's hijacked my brain and is playing Monkey in the Middle with my thoughts, therefore making me ineffective in a very frustrated way.

Let's go even further and say I've tried the usual: listened to music fitting for the scene, channeled my character/s, stalked Pinterest for pictures that might provoke the tiniest form of inspiration, only to end up repinning recipe ideas, my dream room decor, and/or exotic destinations I'd love to visit one day. It happens. Might have even happened last week.

So what's a girl to do when her usual go-to inspiration evoking techniques aren't working? Any suggestions? Seriously, if you've got'em share'em. I'd love to know. They might be useful in the un-inspirational future. Can never be too prepared. You know what I mean? Sure, you do. We've all been there, and those of us who write will be there again. It's called writers block. 

I thought I was impervious to it. Then I got it once and it's been stopping by unannounced ever since. The Funk Zone, is what I call it. When nothing looks good, nothing feels right, nothing seems worth pursuing, because nothing can save you from this funk you're in. Am I right?

In the hopes of freeing myself from my recent funky Pit of Despair state, I decided not to try anything. 

I did everything but try to fix my funk. I might have focused a little too much on food and going out to eat and gained a few unwanted pounds that are killing me to lose, but the ideas started coming. Halleluiah. The creative side of my brain was back in business and I did something I've never done before. I plotted a story. 

Usually, I panster my novels, doing only a loose outline. A,B,C though it's more like B,M,E—beginning, middle, end. But when inspiration struck me this time, instead of gluing my slightly larger derrière to the seat and panstering for the next several weeks, I took three days and plotted that novel chapter by chapter. It was like writing the summary but in reverse since I usually do that last. It was awesome. I was able to get everything out of my head before I lost it and without losing track of the plot. Now all I have to do is fill in the blanks, and I am so excited to write it.  

Of course, that part will take longer than three days, but my Funk Zone/Pit of Despair moment led me to a new way of dealing with writers block by not dealing with it –and gaining a few pounds, though I wouldn't recommend that last part.

I have no idea if this will work for me in the future and since I plan to write again, and again, and again, writer's block is inevitable. If you have a technique that isn't listed above and want to share it—sharing is caring—please do so. It doesn't have to be something you do when you're stuck. It can be what you do when you want to be inspired to write a certain scene or pursue an idea, or something you just do to get in the mood to write. Suggestions are valuable, don’t be shy. ; )

HAPPY WRITING!