Inspiration for Writers (and Everyone Else Too)
There don't seem to be a lot of inspiring things in the world lately, what with the constant terrible news coming out of Washington D.C., the never-ending war in Syria, and the growing meanness of countries across the globe as they push back against immigrants and refugees. Sometimes you just want to see a little good in the world, a little bit of hope, and a little bit of inspiration that you can write your way out of this funk, this moment, this year.
These are the things which help me to "just keep swimming" and write my heart out. Hopefully one of them will be inspirational for you too!
1. Blogs and Podcasts - Sometimes you just need to hear someone else tell you how to get through, what to do, and that everything's going to be alright. Here are some great writing blogs/podcasts that I recommend for writerly inspiration:
Helping Writers Become Authors Blog by K.M. Weiland
Wordplay Podcast by K.M. Weiland
Blog by Kameron Hurley, Intellectual Badass
I Should Be Writing Podcast by Mur Lafferty
2. Books and Audiobooks - Most of the time, I would bury myself in the biggest, heaviest fantasy novel I could find and hide in sheet tent until I couldn't feel my stress anymore, but lately I've been finding solace in a wider variety of literary fare. Here are all the books which I would highly recommend as sources of limitless inspiration:
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country - audiobook
The Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett - audiobooks
Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
(You knew some fantasy was going to get into this list somehow.)
2. Writing - It's surprising sometimes how much the thing that stresses you out becomes the thing that most calms you down! Instead of worrying about your writing and whether you can do it right now, just sit down and start hacking away at the keys. Here are some great resources to get you working:
Poets & Writers Writing Exercises
Tips on Enhancing Your Focus While Writing
3. Curated Music - Why yes, I did spend the whole morning putting together a 3.5 hour playlist of amazing scores specifically for inspiration while working on my next fantasy novel. Time well spent--it is glorious. These are the playlists that are keeping me inspired and my spirits up:
4. Family and Friends - If none of these introverted activities are quite cutting it for you, the biggest recommendation I can give you is to spend more time with the people you love. Get inspired by the things that are really going on in their lives (Not just the picture-perfect version everyone shares on Facebook and Instagram). Maybe even take a few written notes and still get a little work in while you socialize. ;)
What do you do to lift your spirits? Do you have any recommendations for inspirational activities that I've left out? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Write on!