RTW -- Chasing Inspiration

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:
When you need creative inspiration, where do you go?

I've always found that the best inspiration comes when I'm not looking for it. In the last week, I've had three shiny new ideas. One of them resulted from my fascination with psychology, the second from Downton Abbey, and the third just came out of nowhere.

Photographs and writing prompts can be helpful if I'm looking for creative inspiration. I usually use those for short stories, but sometimes those shorts turn into potential novels. Talking to writer friends can be great for inspiration, too.

When I need creative inspiration, I turn to the rest of my life because I know that an idea is likely to hit me at any time. If I need inspiration for a WIP, I brainstorm, I think about my characters and what they would do, I look back to see if there's a thread that I can advance, or I just give it some time to simmer in the back of my mind.

To me, creative inspiration is a lot like love. You'll find it when you least expect it.

Comments

LM Preston said…
I go into the land of google images. Also, travel magazines and science magazines. I love to explore my neighborhood and parks where I take pictures for my world building.
Miss Cole said…
Oh my gosh, YES! Sometimes taking a step back and having inspiration find you is the only way.
Juliana Haygert said…
"You'll find it when you least expect it." << So true!
Though I try to help my muse by reading and listening to music hehe
Anonymous said…
I love random inspirations. I get all excited and start the plotting.

Writer friends have always been a big inspiration. When me and my friends were all at uni we shared everything in our creative writing classes and it always felt good to talk about it. Everyone gave great feedback.
Jaime Morrow said…
I have to agree with you on finding inspiration when you aren't even looking for it. It's crazy how many ideas have come to me just by going about my day doing ordinary things. Recently it was just a word I read that prompted an entire shiny new idea. I had to put it on the backburner for now, but not before jotting down a pile of notes. :)
Colin Smith said…
"To me, creative inspiration is a lot like love. You'll find it when you least expect it."

And it can turn out to be wonderful and beautiful, and you marry it and have a long life together... Or it turns on you, breaks your heart and leaves you... and years later you find it in the arms of another writer. But this writer has a book on the shelf at B&N, flaunting your stolen idea, screaming out "she's mine now, and you'll never have her!!"...

Um, sorry... what was the question? :D
laboyden said…
Great Post!
It's true when they that inspiration comes when we least expect it like a lot of things in life.
Thanks for sharing
Sara Biren said…
How true - sometimes inspiration finds YOU! Oh, and I love Downton Abbey. :)

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