Writers Need Inspiration in Trying Times

Finding inspiration to write is far from easy in this troubled time we are experiencing. As if the threat of covid-19 and the sinking economy is not enough to deter you, we also have civil unrest across the country. Any one of them would put a damper on being inspired to write, but all three have probably taken a toll on your writing time and desire to write.

I've been struggling to find some inspiration myself. I write this blog five days a week because it is a commitment, and I know it's good that I am writing a little each day. In the last few days, I did find some inspiration to write quite by accident.

A friend in another country approached me with an idea that was way beyond what I'd ever want to do. Still, the basic premise was one that piqued my interest. I told her I needed a few days to think about her proposal. Three days have gone by, and my thoughts have been on the possible project. I knew I didn't want to do a webinar or a zoom meeting with a score or more of people, but doing something was still on the table. I came up with an idea, and I felt a bubble of excitement, and it began to build. I came up with a plan and sent my thoughts back to my friend. She liked it, so I suddenly have a brand new project to work on.

My advice today is to find a new writing project to work on. Even the planning will give you a whiff of inspiration. We all like to have something to look forward to--a wedding, a graduation, a date with a special person, a family get-together. We count the days and get through whatever we must knowing that a happy time lies ahead.

Give yourself something to look forward to in your writing life. Is there a project that has been slipping in and out of your mind for a long time, one that you never got around to pursuing? There's no better time than now to start working on it. These past few days, my attitude on everything has improved. Not that it was terrible before, but thinking about how I'm going to work on my new project has been a real shot of adrenalin.

If you don't have a long-put-off project to work on, dream up something brand new and get started. I once heard someone say that 'writers are dreamers, they don't go through the world like other people.' I think there's nothing better for writers to be than a dreamer. It's how we come up with new stories, essays, and poems.