Finding inspiration in the everyday: top tips for writers

Raymond Carver once said: “There are significant moments in everyone’s day that can make literature. That’s what you ought to write about“.

Some of my favourite stories feature ‘ordinary’ or quiet lives: The Remains of the Day, for example. If you slow down and try to notice details, then the extraordinary can always be found in the ordinary.

Here are my top tips for hunting it out…

1. Be curious

Always, about everything. Not only what interests you, though – that’s easy! T

ake, for example, that person you hate? Spend time thinking about why you hate them. This might be your neighbour, a celebrity, a politician or your ex.

Do they behave in a way you find despicable? Why does it offend you? Have they wronged you? Or are you jealous – perhaps they have something that you want? If so, what is it?

Imagine them as a ten year old. Does this change the way you feel? Is there any empathy? Investigate your own likes and dislikes and be curious about those too.

2. Be in the world when you’re out

Unplug often, but especially when travelling. Headphones off/out and phone away.

Instead of getting annoyed by waiting in a queue, why not observe everyone else? People-watching is easy these days because most people look at their phones, so you’ll easily fly under the radar.

You never know who you might meet on a bus, train or a plane, especially if you appear ‘available’. If you don’t want to engage with a stranger, then still… turn that device off. Invite your imagination out to play. Daydream. Get curious (see tip 1).

Listen to the couple opposite. How do you think they met? How long have they been together? What gives you that impression? What are they saying – and not saying?

Look for the stories around you or just out the window. If there are no people, let your self wonder who lives in those houses or tends those fields?

Why is that businessman speaking so loudly about his latest deal? What if (tip 3) no one is on the other end and he’s just faking the whole conversation? That person holding the flowers… have they received them, or are they giving them? Are they on their way to a hospital visit? A date? Planning to make an apology?

Jot down a sentence or two about a passenger, focusing on a specific detail that’s not obvious. Every time you do this, you’ll be creating a character bio you can use later.

3. Always ask: What if…?

The gap between real life and fiction is often just a question: What If?

For instance, people check their phones constantly – we take it for granted. But what if they’re waiting for life-changing news? Test results? What if that news never arrives?

Exercise: take an ordinary moment (the more universal the better) and jot down five different ‘What ifs’. The stranger or more unrealistic the better.

Example: The woman next door took in your Amazon package.

What if…

1. She refuses to give it to you?
2. She claims never to have received it?
3. She gives it back to you, but it’s clearly been opened?
4. She claims a different neighbour has it – the scary neighbour?
5. She doesn’t answer the door, even though you see her curtains twitching…

4. Variety is key

Step out of your routine when you can. Do you take the same route to work or school pick up every day? Do you always shop at the same supermarket?

We’re all creatures of habit, but with routine comes autopilot – and complacency. How can a surprising or original idea turn up if your day is predictable?

Try to surprise your subconscious by feeding it new experiences. Walk a different route. Go to a different supermarket or library or cafe. Get a train just one stop away from where you live and spend a few hours wandering. Write down any impressions that come to you.

And encourage variety in your actual ideas, too. Sometimes combining the unexpected and/or illogical is what leads to interesting and surprising ideas. (It’s why the TV show Breaking Bad worked so well!) What if your local W.I. group was made up of ex-cons? Maybe that local bakery is actually a criminal operation?

5. Focus on emotions, not events

Readers connect with how something feels, not just what happens. Think about the last time you felt something strongly. What emotion was it?

Even if it was only for a moment – road rage for example – try to describe the emotion without mentioning what happened.

Can you list the physical sensations? The thoughts? Try and make up a fictional scenario that creates the same feeling in a character.

6. Consume stories

This might not be by reading! Stories aren’t just in films, plays and TV shows, but also in gaming, songs, art, museum exhibitions…

Observe and record what you’re drawn to. Ask the people in your life what stories they’re drawn to, especially in a medium you’re not familiar with (your teen’s into gaming for example – but what is it about Life is Strange or The Walking Dead that they enjoy?).

Love the fashion at the V&A? Maybe there’s a story waiting to be written about someone who wore one of the costumes? Or the person who commissioned or made it?

Fill up on stories, recognise them everywhere – and soon your brain will be primed in all the tips above!

E.L. Norry will be appearing at the 2026 London Festival of Writing, chairing the Idea Generation: Harnessing Your Creativity workshop on Sunday 14 June. Grab your ticket here!