Life in progress

Inspiration

by 30 Comments

Why is it that the harder you look for inspiration the less likely it is you’ll find it? I think that’s what separates the wanna be writers from the actual writers. ‘Wanna’ just doesn’t cut it.

Today I want to write. Okay yes, I was inspired to write this, but could I come up with an idea for a story? Not a chance.

Distractions don’t help. Which is why I get antsy when I know I have to entertain people – even my kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids more than anything. But writing isn’t just a past-time for me, it’s a need. Particularly when I do get inspired by something. But today it’s the worst of both worlds.

I want to wanna…

Author: Linda G. Hill

There's a writer in here, clawing her way out.

30 thoughts on “Inspiration”

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  1. thetruthaboutmomsandblogs
    April 16, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    Enjoyed reading all the advice comments as well as the post. Just nice to know I’m not alone on this road block! May use some of these tips in the future 🙂

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  2. darlenecraviotto
    April 6, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    You know what makes me smile sometimes? When life gets busy and I can’t write, I think, “If only I had time right now, I’d be writing up a storm!” And then, when life eases up and I have time to write? Nothing. Nada. It’s just me and the blank page. Here’s a tip that’s always helped me when I’ve needed to be writing: Just write anything. Forget trying to come up with a great idea, or looking for inspiration. Just.write.anything. Your name. Your address. A grocery list. Just go through the motions of putting words to paper. And after that, try writing what you’re feeling. Right.at.that.moment. Use writing to journal what you’re feeling, and what’s going on in your life. Many times these simple “writing” activities loosen you up, get you playing and choosing words, and can engage your imagination. Don’t look for brilliance or expect some great idea to come knocking at your door. That’s for another day – maybe at a time when you least expect it. Those wonderful ideas can hit you at the most inopportune times: when you’re busy living life. And that’s when you have to hurry to grab a pen to jot down the idea, the fleeting thought, or that awesome premise or unique character. Just write it down legibly and put it somewhere you can find it later, and that’s when you can slowly begin to play with it and develop it.

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  3. Pingback: Inspiration | gerhogan

  4. #Maesha
    April 3, 2013 at 10:29 pm

    When I’m stuck I like to pick a random topic, or sentence, relax and simply let the words go without inhibition. It’s dirty, and feels a bit like brainstorming, but after a short while your imagination gets sparked and things ease up and start to flow. But I’m a crazy revisionist. I will revise something into oblivion so starting with a big fat load of garbage and weeding it down sometimes reveals beautiful little nuggets of gold that spark even further exploration of ideas. Always be ready to trim. Always stay unmarried from what you create. Always be prepared to revisit and revise. Never be afraid to barf words on a page! And never be afraid to clean up the barf! 🙂 “Head thick, brain dumb, inspiration won’t come. Good ink, bad pen, yours truly AMEN!”

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    • LindaGHill
      April 3, 2013 at 10:59 pm

      It’s been so many years since I last heard that rhyme that I’d forgotten I even knew it! Thank you for reminding me 🙂
      I’m the exact opposite when I write. I almost never make major revisions to my writing unless it’s a novel. Ninety percent of the time I’m happiest with what I write first. Just goes to show you, everyone’s different. C’est la vie!
      Thanks for commenting 🙂

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      • #Maesha
        April 3, 2013 at 11:06 pm

        Indeed! My sister? Three essays in one night, last minute, and get three A’s. Me? One essay in three days to get one A-! LOL. Everyone has their styles. I’ve always found that if I don’t employ some techniques or exercises to find inspiration I struggle in ways I can only liken to opening a door by its hinge.

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  5. wilsonkhoo
    April 2, 2013 at 9:35 am

    Shouldn’t you be editing your epic?

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    • LindaGHill
      April 2, 2013 at 1:51 pm

      I do, when I have a chance. It takes a lot of concentration for me to work on editing, so I only start that if I know I won’t be interrupted for at least an hour. Not easily done during the holidays when I have a house full of people 😛

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  6. frannystevenson
    April 2, 2013 at 1:36 am

    To me looking for inspiration is weird because it is a mixture between looking for it and not looking for it at the same time. And most of the times when I get distracted my brain is relaxed enough to get it! I just think that everybody is different!

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    • LindaGHill
      April 2, 2013 at 7:13 am

      True enough, sometimes momentary distractions can give me exactly what I was looking for. That’s such a great feeling! 🙂 But when I get so distracted that I can’t even seem to be able to sit down for 5 minutes in a day, that’s when I get frustrated. 😛

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  7. Mia - Lights of Clarity -
    April 1, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Love this post simply because I can relate plus the last line did me in 🙂

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  8. writermomangela
    April 1, 2013 at 11:05 am

    I took my daughter to see a specialist last week for a sleep issue she’s having, the Dr explained going to sleep as like a pair of Chinese handcuffs. The harder you pull to get them off, the tighter they become. I think inspiration is the same way. The harder you look for it, chase it, try to find it, the more it hides and becomes impossible to find. It sucks!

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  9. Eyagee
    March 31, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    Words are tricky and subtle. People need to pay more attention to the words they use. Want is probably the most evil word in all of our vocabulary. Here is a simple example.

    “I am running.”

    What is the active verb? Running right? So what are you doing there? Running of course. So you are running. Excellent! So let’s move on to the evil part.

    “I want inspriation.”

    What is the active verb there? Want right? So what are you doing there? Wanting of course. So you are wanting. Congrats, you have fulfilled the only desire you have expressed…wanting. You are not looking….you are not receiving, you are not finding…you are wanting. Wanting is a passive activity with zero chance of accomplishing anything.

    Now like jcmarckx2009’s quote said “Just keep writing…” Active verb is writing. 😉

    Where does inspiratin come from? From within of course. Wanting it won’t get it. Writing might but you’ll never know if you don’t do it 😀

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  10. jcmarckx2009
    March 31, 2013 at 8:38 pm

    I hit the wall all the time. Some authors say to write no matter how ridiculous the return is, and some say to just chill out . I usually do the latter, but sometimes I try anyway and get lucky, and the ridiculous nonsense I start with becomes gold.

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  11. writingthebody
    March 31, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    Here are some scattered thoughts….It is probably worth clarifying why you write. When I had the idea I would be a writer, I think I just used that to cover a whole lot of things that do not need to go together. Recognition was one – that to me is to do with my own inadequacies that as you know I discuss in my blog on myself more directly. To write things….well I do write them when I feel like it….as do you. If there is nothing that I want to write, I do not do it…..I do like to work on my poetry – even though I am never happy with it. The poems I have put here have surprised me as I have written them much more quickly than usual, and some of them are better than things I laboured over. The reason – my poems here are written to communicate with the small band of people who read them. In my main life, I do write things as well, for a different public I suppose….but it is the ones that I have written for my blog that I have poured myself into, in a blog I find a bit alarming in some ways.

    I think if the feeling and drive to write something eludes you, then take up something old you abandoned, and start rewriting it, just literally copying it, changing a word here and there…..working over stuff is always good too.

    Maybe if all else fails one day try to write down what it is you wish to achieve in your writing, what would be the dream come true just for you….a lot of people are writing – and it has value, but what is it….it is better if you can get close to that….

    If what I am saying is silly, do feel free just to delete it. I know how important writing is to you, and the last thing I want to do is offend you….but if there is even one thing here that helps you, then that is wonderful.

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  12. Dan
    March 31, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    I hear ya loud and clear. My life has been a creative crisis for the past week

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