7 Unusual Sources of Inspiration for Writing

November 06, 2015

Content 7 unusual sources of inspiration for writing

Sources of inspiration which you’ve never heard about

If you have writer's block, or just want to change your writing up a bit, your best tool is some fresh inspiration. Unfortunately, your usual sources of writing inspiration can become stagnant. When this happens, it is time to think outside the box and look in unexpected places for inspiration. Fortunately, there is no shortage of unusual sources of creative inspiration. You just need to be a bit open minded, and willing to frame the way you view the world around you in new ways. 

  1. People Watching

Watching people interact with one another, and witnessing their behavior is a great way to find writing inspiration. After all, people say and do interesting, touching, and humorous things all of the time. All it takes is employing some good observational skills, and willingness to remove yourself from your technology bubble. People watching is quite possibly the easiest way to gain inspiration, because you can observe human interaction almost anywhere.

  1. Magazines

Magazines can be a great source of inspiration. No, not the entertainment rags you find in the check out lanes, but the magazines you find in the racks at your local bookstore. There you can find magazines on theater, modern art, architecture, cooking, film, travel, interior design, and more. If your niche is business or technology, your choices are nearly limitless. Don't count yourself out if you are looking for inspiration on a very unusual subject. Instead, do some searching on the internet. You might find an online or subscription only trade, small market, or niche magazine that meets your needs.

  1. Your Own Failure

Not only is failure something that you should embrace as a great learning experience, it is something you should embrace as a great source of inspiration. If you are writing an instructional piece for your audience, why not use your own failures and learning experiences to help them to better understand what they should or shouldn't do. If you are writing for entertainment, why not use some major blunder you have committed as inspiration. Most failures, after enough time goes by, make for excellent stories.

  1. Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone

When you do something that is unfamiliar or a little bit frightening, a few really neat things happen. First, your adrenaline levels jump, and you get a burst of energy. Then, your brain starts working hard to process the new experience. These things on their own are enough to give you a surge of creative energy and inspiration, but there's more. You'll have a new experience or accomplishment to write about, or you can simply write about your emotional journey.

  1. Eating a Great Meal a Great Conversationalist

Sure, you could split this into two different sources of inspiration, one for hanging out with a great conversationalist and two for eating. There is just something special about combining the two. Perhaps it is the mix of the sensory pleasures of a good meal, and the intellectual experience of a great conversation. Try this technique and you are sure to end the meal with at least one inspired writing idea.

  1. Weird Creepy and Strange Things That Pop Into Your Head

It happens to all of us. Weird thoughts, even macabre ones pop into our minds inexplicably. Most of the time when this happens, we dismiss these thoughts and concentrate on other things. Maybe this is because these thoughts make us uncomfortable. This is too bad. These thoughts are great fodder for writing. We just need to be willing to explore them and let them inspire us. Sometimes these thoughts come to us in our dreams. This is why many writers keep a dream  journal on their night stands. It helps them to record their dreams right after they wake I the morning.

  1. Social Websites

You probably already participate in social media. But, if you are like most people, you stick to your social circles and maybe a few groups that are related to your particular interests. Have thought about expanding your horizons a bit? You could become active on a new social media platform. This is a great way to meet new people, and explore new online communities. You can also join new groups, or if you are a 'Redditor', explore and participate in a few new subreddits. The beauty of social media is that you can participate in conversations about anything that interests you. Your interests could range from cooking to dead languages. You are sure  to be able to find others with similar interests on social media.

What do you think? Do you have any off the wall sources of inspiration to share? Hopefully one of these seven tips will boost your creativity and inspiration, and motivate you to write something amazingly creative.