A common misconception me and my fellow writing friends thought in high school was that we could only write well when we were inspired. We would go weeks without talking about a new piece of writing we started simply because we weren’t writing. Since beginning college, I have learned that that is just not true. Writing takes time and effort, and sifting through a lot of work you think is garbage, to find the perfect pieces of your writing that are worth combining and expanding upon. With everything from social media, to other classes, to the economy failing, we are losing more and more time for opportunistic writing than we had in the past. The best way to get around this is to set aside time to write. “But Alexa, we can’t write unless we are feeling inspired!” I hear you. So you have to make yourself be inspired. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Set Yourself a Goal.
Do you want to have a certain amount of words typed before your hour or so is up? A certain amount of ideas? A character list? Start small and work your way up to a draft being your goal. Make them attainable and undaunting just to get yourself used to writing during a set time.
- Set the Mood.
From experience, the best place to write is a place where all you do is write. For example, it is not a good idea to write while sitting on your bed, because you associate your bed with sleeping, watching TV, reading, and other activities that are not working on your writing. Find a quiet spot that you can dedicate just to writing and getting work done. Sitting in this spot will condition yourself to become inspired more often than others because your brain will associate it with writing.
- Write Down Anything, Even If it is Actual Trash.
Have an idea about plants with faces eating soup? Write it down. Giraffes with short necks and long hair? Write it down. Writing anything is better than writing nothing. Some of these ideas that you think are horrible sometimes just need a little tweaking to be great. Or if not, they could at least lead you to an idea that is.
- Go for a Walk.
If you STILL can’t think of anything to write down, take a break. Go for a walk. Notice the houses you pass, the wildlife you encounter, the people you meet. Just be present and observant. When you return to your writing space, you will have something to write about, whether it’s a new fiction piece a jogger reminded you of, or just writing down what you saw, you will be writing.
“I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” —William Faulkner
Meet the blogger:
ALEXA CALLIGURI is a senior at Hamline University. She won Hamline’s Broadside Award for CNF in Spring 2018. She lives in Lonsdale, Minnesota, where she is made fun of for taking things out of the trash and putting them in the recycling bin.
