How to Get Inspired

Has there ever been a more frustrating curse to befall a writer than lack of inspiration? You might think that some people are just born creative – but the truth is, new ideas are hiding in everyday spaces all around us. You just have to know where to look.  

Today in our free newsletter, our own Elsie Granthier offers you a couple of shortcuts for when inspiration is refusing to strike – have you tried any of these before? 

How to Get Inspired | Elsie Granthier  

Is there anything worse than wanting to write but having no idea what you want to write about? Or having an idea but not knowing how to flesh it out? Inspiration can be fickle, but you can’t sit around and wait, hoping for a character or plot to appear in your head fully formed.  

Like anything worth having, inspiration is something you must go out and get – and I’ll tell you how.  

Your inspiring life  

What’s bothering you at the moment? No, sorry, don’t tell me, I’m not qualified!  

In my last house, I had some very angry neighbours who frequently argued loudly at the exact time I wanted to go to sleep. One night, I wished I had the courage to get up, hammer on their door, and tell them to shut up.  

I then asked myself some questions: what would it take for me to do that? What did I fear would happen if I did? And what if someone did knock on their neighbour’s door and, in doing so, put themselves in real danger?  

I kept asking myself questions, and those questions turned into a first draft of a novel that begins with my protagonist hammering on her new neighbour’s door at 2am, causing their lives to become inexorably intertwined.  There’s a lot I want to change about that draft, but the thing I absolutely want to keep is the strong atmosphere that I created from the tension I felt in my own life.  

So, take your real-life problem, imagine a protagonist who is braver, or more cowardly, more impulsive, more violent, etc. than you, and see what they do. You never know, you might even find the solution to your problem… (Mine was earplugs!)  

Your inspiring surroundings 

I often remember Jacqueline Wilson talking about how she dreamed up a character name while in the bath. ‘Tracy’ popped into her head, but she just couldn’t land on a surname – until she saw a plastic beaker on the side of the bath that she used to rinse her hair. From there, Tracy Beaker was born!  

Whether you name your character Tracy Candle, write a story featuring a talking candle, or debate between using candles in a romantic or sinister setting, take an everyday object and let your imagination explore all the possibilities!   

The inspiring real world  

Publishing trends are often informed by contemporary issues – so stay engaged in the world around you.  

Watch the news and talk to your friends and family about what they’re invested in. Thriller writers can listen to true crime podcasts, children’s authors should speak to the young people in their family, romance novelists can ask friends what’s hard about dating today…  

Wherever you can, listen, absorb what’s around you to create a lifelike and engaging story.  

Inspiring writers  

Once you’ve found your inspiration, you need something – or someone – to inspire you to sit down and write that story. This is why I’m so excited for our upcoming York Festival of Writing.  

There’s really nothing like having a whole weekend to bounce ideas off one another, listening to top-quality new writing at Friday Night Live, and the electric feeling of knowing that the next time you see an author’s name it could be on the cover of a bestseller. We’ve found that people love having a space to focus solely on writing and feel taken seriously as a writer. The energy is always fantastic, and we hope to be able to inspire you in person, for a whole three days together, in September. Will you be there? What are you looking forward to the most? Tell us on our social media. 

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So, what are you waiting for? Go on and seek out your inspiration – it’s been waiting for you! 

Elsie  

Events and Writer Support Executive