Monday, April 11, 2011

Industrious Inspiration

One of my favourite writing quotes is from Jack London: You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Many established writers dread the question, ‘where do you get your inspiration from?’ That’s because it comes from anywhere and everywhere. But we can’t wait for it to strike. We have to go after it, hunt it down, seize it and make it work for us.

In fact, sometimes we have to write without inspiration.

What do you do when you aren’t ‘inspired’? How do you go after inspiration?


Pic: Trevi Fountain, Rome.

Note: This post is part of the A-Z Challenge. To learn more about the challenge click the image on my sidebar.

32 comments:

Sarah Allen said...

This is great! I love London. My main tactic for clubbing down inspiration is reading or watching someone else's art. So, reading a fantastic book or short story, watching a good movie. That gets the mental wheels out of the ruts. Usually.

Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)

Old Kitty said...

Lots of concentration and freeflow writing. Sometimes it's just writing down random words and sentences or things I've witnessed, memories. This isn't my favourite type of method but sometimes - say when I have to hand in a piece of creative writing for my course - I need to resort to this method. It sort of works eventually - but after much of my brain is frazzled! LOL!!!

Take care
x

Nate Wilson said...

When I lack for inspiration, I've always done one of three things: go for a walk, go for a drive, or attend a boring meeting at work. But now that's all going to change. Now I'll be doing all these things with a club.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Reading probably inspires me more than anything else. Also daydreaming.

Unknown said...

I love reading, listening to music, watching movies in the same genre I write.

DEZMOND said...

Jack was a truly wise man! I couldn't agree more!

Nas said...

I love reading. I always describe myself as a very passionate reader.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Sarah, yep, great work is highly inspirational

Old Kitty, yeah I think I'm almost used to a frazzled brain now ;)

Nate, hahahaha better sendout warning notices ;)

KarenG, ah yes, daydreaming... blissful sigh.

Clarissa, all good! especially music

Dezzy, yes indeedily

Nas, reading is brilliant :)

Anonymous said...

Love that quote! It's funny you should post this, as for this week I decided to put away a chunk of time and just generate ideas. (I'm so fascinated by them!) The newspaper, music, and doing quick little writings that lead to nowhere always inspire me.

LTM said...

just keep swimming... write til it comes. But you're right. Great quote~ :o) <3

Charmaine Clancy said...

That's the best idea, just write until it comes. :)
Wagging Tales - Blog for Writers

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda .. I can see inspiration or finding different approaches or ideas would be difficult at times.

Fortunately I suffer from too much inspiration .. but then I get overloaded and too much is too much!

Good to meet you and thanks for dropping by my blog - see you around .. all the best Hilary

Sr Crystal Mary Lindsey said...

Hello lovely to meet you. I am originally from Sydney and now reside in Qld. Its really strange sometime what I write about. I will log in to share a particular experience and when I begin to type it all changes and something else ends up in front of me. I amaze myself many times....so I guess mainly the Spirit of God does the prompting and my fingers do the typing. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

Great post. I freewrite when I have no inpsiration or you might try my I: Inspirational Ideas post :O)

Unknown said...

Keeping a dream diary helps me :)

Wanda said...

Inspiration is often found in the most unexpected places. Just have to keep your eye open.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

I guess I would have to say reading. That, and hanging out browsing in book stores or the library.

D. U. Okonkwo said...

I tend to get inspired when i'm writing or when I'm partway between sleep and waking up. I try to remember to keep a notebook on my bedside :)

Jess said...

Love this--I'm a big fan of London, and I adore that quote. I'm a power-through kind of girl. That means on some days I have 1,000 words that I know will eventually get trashed, but I finished my goal-of-the-day, dammit!

Joanne said...

What a great post! I love "I". What I do for inspiration is anything that makes me happy. I go out or watch a show. I go on the net. You are right ...inspiration is just 'round the corner, we just have to go get it. What a great feeling though when it does happen...I know it makes my day! Blessings, Joanne

Rebecca Dupree said...

I have to force myself to write 78% of the time. Inspiration is over rated! :)

Kiernan said...

I love this. I just usually force myself to press on through. Having a word count goal *really* helps. Even if you have to delete a lot of it, a failed attempt is better than no attempt at all.

Murees Dupè said...

I usually keep working even though the inspiration is not really there. I have also found that the quickest way for me to get inspired is to preoccupy myself with other activities and before I know it, my mind is thinking up all sorts of new things. Thank you so much for following my blog.

M Pax said...

Sometimes I have to wait for it as I know the chapter or scene is a dud without it. I usually go do something else - work out [yoga is good at shaking out some inspiration], showers usually work, or chopping veggies. Something will usually trigger that aha. I will struggle through without it, but won't move on until inspiration hits. It rarely takes more than a couple of days.

Emily Rose said...

When I briefly studied architecture last year I remember seeing the Trevi Fountain. It's so beautiful. I love the quote!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Madeline, that's a great idea to set dedicated time for idea generation :)

LTM, yes indeedy

Charmaine, yup

Hilary, that's a great thing to suffer from :)

Crystal, hi to another Aussie! :) God bless to you too

Madeleine, hehe, great post

Siv, they are great.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Wanda, true

Elizabeth, yep I do a lot of browsing too

D U Okonkwo, I have notebooks everywhere because I'm bound to get ideas when I'm furthest from one.

Jess, daily goals are a great way of breaking through any barriers.

Joanne, it is a great feeling :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Rebecca, hehe as they say: 1% inspiration 99% persperation ;)

Kiernan, I agree. And we learn a lot from just writing too.

Murees, welcome. Experience is one of the best idea generators.

M Pax, yep, breaks are also good :)

Emily, it's beautiful. I even did the traditional thing and tossed a coin over my shoulder into the fountain.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Getting out of the house usually works for me. Sunshine, fresh air, and the beauty of the city usually clears my head.

Stratoz said...

Ahhh, put on some jazz and pick up a pencil, paper, and erasure and start doodling.... that is how many a new stained glass design comes into being.

Anonymous said...

I love that quote!
I get away from the computer... get our and inspiration finds me.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Michael, I LOVE getting out of the house. Sunshine is inspirational.

Stratoz, I'm a fan of doodling

Michelle, definitely good to get away from the computer.