Start an Inspiration Journal
If you’re facing the blank page day in day out without any other source, you’re truly making this whole writing thing much harder on yourself. I would know, I was you up until like a week ago.
I’ve been thinking a lot on wanting to improve my writing and that my manuscript is just not quite hitting the mark for what I want it to sound like yet. So, I needed a place to gather lines and passages and books that were hitting that mark. Stuff that I wanted my own writing to sound like one day. A place where I could really unpack it, pick it apart, and see how it ticked.
But there’s another category of stuff I wanted to track—the stuff that makes me feel inspired to write. Whether it’s a movie, a photo, an article, a blog post, or even something random like a smell or a taste or a concept, having a place to go when I should be writing but can’t seem to muster up the courage to do it, I thought would be helpful.
Lastly, I added one more piece to my document—a place to keep all the positive feedback and comments I have ever received on my work. A place specifically for when I’m in the dumps and need a pick me up.
Thus, my inspiration journal was born.
Depending on what I need, I go to a certain section before I start writing anything. Even if it’s just a reminder of the kind of tone or rhythm I’m going for when I’m writing, a quick look sets my brain in the right mode to achieve what I’m trying to.
I think I’ll also start adding all my unrelated, random ideas to the journal as well. One day, when I’m finished with what I’m working on now, I might use it to jump into a new project.
Lastly, I think it’s really helpful to start every writing session with a warm-up of some kind. Even if it’s a few sentences, getting those vibes in your head down onto the page before you start working on your manuscript helps the words come a lot easier.
All this to say is that writing is an art, it’s a practice, it isn’t something you can just conjure at the ends of your fingertips from nothing. Don’t try doing it with your hands tied behind your back and blindfolded, you can use sources and inspiration and practice rounds to get going.
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