Inspiration To Write In February

It's Friday but also the first day of February, so Happy Friday and Happy February! This is the shortest month of the year but it has several notable days:  Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and President's Day. In my childhood years, we celebrated the birthdays of two presidents. Abraham Lincoln on February 12th and George Washington on February 22nd. Now, it's one day for all presidents. 

My son and his oldest daughter both have birthdays in February, so I add two more special days to this month. 

Memories are triggered for me by each of these days. Those memories can easily lead to a story to write. It might be one to add to my Family Stories book or a story for a magazine or anthology. Here are a few of the memories that came to me as I wrote those special February days above:

• the movie--Groundhog Day
• groundhogs in the zoo
• a Valentine box my dad made for me when I was 7
• Valentine parties in grade school
• learning about Abe Lincoln in school
• hearing a favorite senator deliver a Lincoln Day speech
• learning about George Washington--especially the cherry tree story 
• the day my son was born
• waiting for my first granddaughter to be born

Make your own memories list for the days in February that have some special meaning for you. That list has suggestions for new stories to write. Jack London's famous quote comes to mind:  You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. I agree. We can't sit in a chair and wait for bright lights and shining stars to explode above our heads. We have to go after inspiration in a variety of ways. 

The exercise here is only one way to find inspiration. Get out of the house. Take a walk. Visit a shopping mall. Sit in a waiting room at a Dr's office or train station or wherever you'll find people. Watching and listening can bring inspiration if you do so with a writer's eye. Go to a concert. (Yes, an entire story came into my mind as I listened to the classical music of a symphony orchestra one evening) You have to go after it, not wait for inspiration to come to you all wrapped in pink paper and a pretty bow.