7 ways to find inspiration when the muse disappears
It happens to all of us. The dreaded block appears, and try as we might, the words just don’t flow. Everything we write sounds like candy and most of the time we end up thinking that we are never going to write another word again.
As much as you think you are the only one who suffers in this way, you are not alone. Not even close to him.
The important thing is that you do not worry. Understand that this is something that happens to many writers and that, as incredible as it may seem at the time, the muse will return. And probably with a vengeance. You will have so many ideas that you won’t have time to put them all on paper!
In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to help get your creativity flowing again. The following are seven ideas that have worked for me. I can’t guarantee they’ll work as well for you, but if you need to write and the pen won’t budge, it’s definitely worth a try.
1. Imagine you were a child during your grandmother’s childhood era. What do you imagine you would be doing right now? If you could take a modern item back in time, what would it be and why? How do you imagine others would react to that article? Keep working on ideas that bridge the past and present.
2. Try to see life through the eyes of a dog, cat, or any other pet. What would make you happy? When would you feel frustrated? What do you care If you are a hamster, would you mind being caged? If you are a dog, does it matter if your human wakes you up from your comfortable bed to take you out for a walk in the rain? Try to keep things from the animals’ perspective instead of turning them into furry humans.
3. Write a letter to “someone” explaining what you are writing about, why you are writing it, and how you view the final product. If you are writing a novel, do you plan to find an agent? Will you write the entire novel first or just the first three chapters and then start submitting it? If you are writing a column, where will it be used? Tell your ‘someone’ absolutely everything that is related to your writing project.
4. Find an image that inspires you and write about it. You don’t need to describe the image, rather write about how the image makes you feel; why you are attracted to him; what you think caused the artist / photographer to create that particular image. You can do the opposite with an image you don’t like.
5. Take a newspaper or magazine and open it to a random page. Now choose a headline and write your own story around it. It doesn’t have to be the same type of story as the original. “Men found in the tunnel” might have originally meant illegal immigrants trying to cross the border, but its story could be about prison robbers, coal miners, or whatever else your imagination throws up.
6. Go for a walk. When you return, write about the things you saw and experienced. Remember the bird splashing in the puddle? Or the dog owner who allowed his pet to litter the street without clearing it? Or children who ride bikes without helmets? Or the shopkeeper standing in the doorway chatting with a couple of old ladies? How did those things make you feel?
7. Interview a friend. You do not need to be present; If you know them well enough, you can do a mock interview. Now rewrite your answers biographically.
Hopefully some of those ideas will help you break through your blockage. Just remember not to let it bother you too much because stress and anxiety will only compound the problem.
Happy writing!