E.M.Etheridge Author

            Personally, I find inspiration in more places than I can count, and most of them are completely random. I get ideas from jokes my coworkers make, from stories my friends and family tell, and from books and movies. I can be out on a run and come up with a new scene idea. Actually, thinking up fight scenes for my WIP helps my run go by faster. 

            I’m fully aware though that not everyone is going to run to write, so here’s a list of places where you can find prompts and inspiration. 

1. Blogs! 

Look you’re already on a blog, looking for inspiration! How crazy! But for real, a lot of short story blogs and writing blogs have exercises woven into them that a writer can work with to help them hone their craft. I know mine does. Some even have posts dedicated to prompts for different genres. I highly recommend jumping on Pinterest and looking for some. Heck, one day I need to just write a prompt list myself. I’m filing that away for a potential blog post so stay tuned. 

2. Writing Groups 

I will forever harp on the idea that every writer needs a group or a community. Being surrounded by others who have the same passion as you can seriously fuel your passion. Plus, writing groups are so diverse you will get to experience so many genres that you may not have given a chance. Every genre sounds amazing when delivered by someone passionate about the story. Personally, I wasn’t into historical fiction until I got into my group, but my horizons have been broadened. 

If you can’t find a local group to meet face-to-face with, try social media. I’m part of a few groups on Facebook and Twitter and people are constantly posting prompts and ideas. 

For more reasons why you should be in a writing group, check out my post Joining A Writing Group: Why All Writers Need One.  

3. Check out writing contests  

Writing contests typically have very strict rules, and deadlines. The rules for prompts can be very stimulating for that ‘figure it out’ portion of a writer’s brain and can really make you think out of the box to solve problems. They usually have deadlines as well, which will make you get off your butt to write! It’s a form of accountability. Even if you don’t want to participate in the contest, it’s fun to get some ideas from them and use them as exercise. Remember, entering a contest increases the probability of you winning compared to not entering! Winning could get you a little extra money to sponsor your WIP, or just give you something impressive to put on your resume when you’re searching for a good agent. It’s your call!

4. Look to other forms of Art 

Listen, a picture says a thousand words, and music is poetry with instruments. Go on Instagram, Pinterest, your local museums or farmers market and get to know some artists. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at a picture or a painting and thought “What’s the story behind this” and I start daydreaming one up for myself. 

The same goes for music. Listen to a song, really listen to it. Then look at the lyrics and pick them apart like you’re in your high school lit class. Research the artist and their life and see if you can figure out the story behind the song or make one up yourself. There are always so many more layers to these things than people realize, and there are infinite possibilities that you as a storyteller can capitalize on. 

5. Read or watch TV 

This kind of falls under the previous category but I wanted to separate them because they are a more direct form of storytelling. I use books and movies for research. I watch and read critically. This means I break things down into elements and see what parts work and what doesn’t work for me as a reader or viewer. I also try to pick out, from a publishing perspective, what themes work and don’t work. Understanding trends like this can help me write in a more inclusive way that may appeal to my editor or a publication company better. It’s still going to be my story, and it’s still going to be unique, but if I see a way to capitalize by making sure I have a strong comic relief character or that extra layer of world-building I didn’t include, I’m going to add that in to help my books be as successful as possible. 

6. Pay attention to your Dreams

This one sounds weird, but I’ve personally done this a few times. I have woken up in the middle of the night from a strange dream that left me thinking, and thinking, and thinking. If it makes me think, I believe it can make my audience think, so I try to transfer it into the written word. It’s not easy, because there are a lot of aspects to it and dreams tend to be chaotic, but they are also unique. If you feel like you are running out of unique characters, themes, or settings try thinking about your last dream or crack open your old dream journal to see if there is a story there. I’ve personally done that with two of my short stories, It Was Fall and Chthonian Gift. Also, I know that it’s a difficult, but rewarding, creative process to go through. See my post Turning Dreams Into Shorts: A Personal Account to see how I did it. I highly recommend you check them out if this is a technique you want to try! 

7. Go somewhere new 

Sometimes inspiration just requires a new experience. Now I’m not saying you need to book a flight right now to Paris and get lost in the beauty of Europe, but if you can afford that on the fly, bro, take me with you. Just try a new environment. Go check out that local coffee shop that just opened downtown. Find a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that you’ve never been to. Visit a park to get some fresh air away from your computer, and jot down what you see paper and pen style. There are a lot of options. Sometimes people lose their creativity because they just get into a rut. 

8. Try a new genre. 

You don’t have to scrap your WIP and start over with a new book, but sometimes writing a poem or short story in another genre can help restart your creativity, again it’s another way to break out of the rut. Just try it. You may find you’re missing an element in your WIP that you’ve found in another genus and can incorporate. The more diversity you have, the stronger your craft becomes. 

9. Feel Something 

This may sound strange, but I want you as a writer, to sit back and think of the most traumatic or dramatic moment of your life. So many writers find inspiration in their own past. I know I do. In fact, some authors write about trauma to help others survive. I know one extraordinary lady working on a memoir about her cancer struggle. If you’re a fiction writer or just don’t want to share that part of your life, you can do so through your characters. No one ever has to know what you went through but readers can still benefit from it. Plus, there are a dozen ways you can benefit from it too. It could be very therapeutic for you, or it could just be the emotional jolt you need to unclog your writer’s block. Try it out for yourself in a medium that you feel comfortable with. 

Side note: if you choose to do this, I highly recommend working with a professional to help handle it as well. I have a therapist, and she’s been listening to my anecdotes about weaving trauma into my writing for years and has been so wonderful in helping me utilize it as a coping mechanism. Professional help is the best help.