This is a guest post by Jim DeBellis, a freelance writer for Criminal Justice Degree Schools.
The curse of daily or weekly deadlines can turn even the joyful luster of creative writing into just another job that eats your life away.
Don’t worry—creative juices never dry up; they just become harder to access from time to time. Your creativity truly is a bottomless supply of blogging and writing fodder, as long as you keep drilling new wells to tap into your pool of inspiration.
Try these tips to keep yourself writing 1,000, 2,000, or even 3,000 words everyday.
1. Just Start Writing
Stop staring at a blank page, and just put some words on it—any words. One word leads to the next, and one thought always inspires another.
- Put down something you’ve been meaning to tell your significant other.
- Write down what the people on TV are saying.
- Write a synopsis of the last movie you saw.
The mind is a miraculous thing, and it will lead you onto a train of thought in short order. Good writers say that most of their ideas and inspirations come from the writing process itself, and not from the research or preparation.
2. Keep a Notepad
Never go anywhere without a pocket-sized notebook and a pen. Have it with you in your car, on your nightstand when you go to bed, and even outside your shower. You never know when inspiration will strike.
It might be a single thought or phrase or a whole new take on a major topic or theme. We always think we will remember our enlightened thoughts, but they often get lost in the hectic jumble of real life. Your notepad will be a solid and dependable resource to consult when you get ready to write.
3. Breathe New Life Into Old Ideas
Great ideas never grow old and can be given new life with new words. It might be something that you wrote years or months ago, or it might be something that caught your attention on the Internet or in the blogosphere.
Rearranging your old furniture, painting a dull room, and refurbishing an old desk really do bring new excitement and create a new and personal outlook on familiar fixtures. Your creative style can do the same for a familiar topic.
4. Clear Your Mind and Set the Mood
Preparation for writing should be taken at least as seriously having a nice meal at home or going out on a date. There needs to be something that differentiates the beginning of the creative process from the chaos you were involved with in the previous moment.
Before you eat you wash down the table and set the plate and flatware nicely. Before you go out, you clean up and change your mood. Before you write, try relaxing with a warm bath or shower, a nice change of decent clothes, and maybe an energy drink. Clean and unclutter your work area and your mind, put on Handel’s Water Music, and get to work.
5. Exercise
A healthy, vigorous body really does keep the mind clear of toxins, relieve stress, and get the heart and mind pumping with new clarity and energy.
Too many people have a mental image of bloggers as lazy couch potatoes living in their mother’s basement, lounging in a recliner in their underpants with a bag of Cheetos between their knees, one hand on an Xbox controller, and the other on their keyboard.
You probably aren’t like that, but it never hurts to be reminded that a good jog and a healthy diet are still the best ways to keep your mind fresh and active.
6. Read
You’ve got your computer right in front of you, so take an hour everyday to keep up on the news in whatever areas interest you. Keep up with your favorite blogs through an RSS reader. DVR an hour of MSNBC, Fox, the View, and Oprah so you can quickly skim through them to see what the world is talking about today. Keep you mind engaged in the dialogues of the day, and the ideas will naturally happen.
7. Let it Flow
During those times when the ideas and words are in abundance, write an extra article or blog and save it for a rainy day.
Newspapers, TV programs, and magazines always keep a file of “evergreen” stories that don’t hinge on a timely news item, so they can be used any time. Develop a file of evergreen stories and ideas that you can call on when the well is dry.
The Key Point
The key point to remember is to approach your writing as a discipline and develop your own methodology—but be flexible when necessary.
Turn off the radio or TV, change your clothes, go into a different room or outside or to the coffee house. The words are there, and you are just the medium that channels them onto the page. Healthy habits and a regular routine will keep you tuned into the inspiring forces all around you.
When all else fails, change up your routine. If you generally outline your blogs or articles before writing, try winging it, jotting ideas for the next paragraphs as you go. If you usually wing it, try writing notes first. Switch it up, and let the inspiration begin!
Your Writing Inspiration
When you need to get some writing done, what do you do to inspire the words to flow? Share your tips for bloggers and writers everywhere!
This post brought to you by Jim DeBellis
Jim is a writer for Criminal Justice Degree Schools, a resource site providing information on criminal justice degrees, schools, and careers.
Jim has written 1 awesome article(s) for Kikolani.
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