The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.
Nolan Bushnell
Inspiration in the Writing Process
I thought I would share a bit about my inspiration in my writing process and how it plays a part. Inspiration is a tricky beast. When I was in Art School, a lot of students struggled by waiting to be inspired. I always felt like that was waiting for lightning to strike. I believe that inspiration comes from being feverishly curious about the world around us, and while our life experiences play a role, you can’t sustain that. There are only so many times you can write about your own experiences before it has been done.
A Spark of An Idea
I have more ideas than I have time to write, which is true for most authors. For me, inspiration comes from a spark or a thought of a small piece of an idea, and then I have to research and dig deeper. Relentless curiosity is the second step to a spark of an idea.
Visuals
The third step is visual. In the past, I was a professional photographer, and I have always been a very visual person. I think and feel through images, and I find that images/photographs have and will always be an essential part of my process. Here Pinterest comes in handy. I create mood boards to visually set the stage for writing the book and use the board to capture the distinctive images of scenes, characters, or elements of the story or world. Although I know readers may feel my boards contain spoilers, I can help but share them with interested readers.
Organization
Next in my process is organization. When I build a new world or a new book, I have it organized on Google Drive. I always start with a new folder for a new book or series, and then I create a brainstorm document for dumping all ideas in one place. There are no rules here. I may have just a paragraph or a long list of ideas. This document is a way to capture my thoughts so that they don’t disappear.
Life is hectic balancing my family and businesses, so I need to ensure that I don’t lose my thoughts and ideas. It’s also a great way to slowly work or build on a book idea when you are actively working on another project. I currently have a writing plan for the next twenty books all the way up to 2026. So to keep organized with all of those ideas is vital to continue to write.
Clean Writing
Next, I write the drafts of my books in Google Drive on my laptop. I always write on my laptop with my favorite keyboard because I write faster and cleaner, and Google Docs is a clean, easy way for me to write. It allows me to cut out distractions and focus on the page. Getting words on the page is the most crucial part of writing.
The Act of Doing
Finally, my inspiration often comes from action and doing. The more I write, the more the current book project sparks another idea or thread that I can use elsewhere. In art school, the key for me was the more I create, the more ideas and sparks I have to create more. Inspiration comes from relentlessly creating as much as you can. Whether that is writing, drawing, painting, you get the idea. Create to create more. The daily act of doing is what gets my books written. I write every weekday. My consistency helps my growth and progress as a writer.
How do you find your inspiration in life? Does it strike like a bolt of lightning, or does it come to you in the act of creation itself?
