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Some days, being a writer is grand, and I have new fiction story ideas sparking with every thought. Other days…not so much. I still want to write, but ideas are a struggle. My creative muse has fled.
Every writer goes through the same struggle. And everyone develops their own ways of coping with the temporary loss of inspiration. But if you haven’t, or your usual methods aren’t working, I’ve rounded up my favorite ways of getting a creative kickstart.
1. Borrow Ideas from Other Places
Nothing inspires me more than interacting with art. Reading books or watching shows I love that inspires me makes ideas flow.
Listen to music, watch movies, or read books. Re-read the things that made you want to write in the first place.
You’ll find inklings of ideas, thoughts on how you could adapt these stories, fantastic character models, and fleeting jolts of inspiration. Take these and mold them into your own story.
2. Ask Yourself Crazy Questions
The What-Ifs. The How-Coulds. These questions spark great fiction. What if books were illegal? Fahrenheit 451 answers. How could an ordinary boy become a wizard? Harry Potter explains.
Asking the right questions—strange ones, hard ones, impossible ones—makes for amazing stories. So start asking crazy questions, and the answer may be your story. Answering your own questions is one great method of brain dumping, and I wrote a whole blog post with similar creativity-boosting methods of brain dumping to get you inspired.
3. Idea Bank
Fortunately, the days I do have ideas, I have plenty. Too many, in fact. I can’t write all of them as they come. I sometimes forget them. So, I can solve two problems with one idea bank.
I write down every intriguing idea down, be it a character, plot, conversation, or something else. Then, when I’m lacking new ideas, I can turn to the old ones I’ve written down to get started.
4. Collaborate With Others
When your own creative spark fails you, it might help to turn to others. If another writer friend needs help with a story, offer yours. Write with them, edit, beta read, critique—whatever they need.
Ask around for spare ideas in your writing groups. Never steal, but if someone has an idea they’d like to spare, take it.
You could also look around for fiction ghostwriting jobs. They often come with tight plot requirements (but a nice paycheck).
Take advantage of writing prompts made by other writers. You can find quotes, pictures, plots, and more. Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest have plenty. Search the web and get inspired. This is my favorite method for hunting inspiration.
5. Take A Break
That might be the last thing you want to hear if you’re set on writing. But sometimes our brains need a rest. Burnout is real, and that might be an obstacle to your creativity.
Taking a break allows you to relax and reset. Put writing and social media away. When your mind is ready, ideas will come back on their own.
This might take a few days, it might only take twenty minutes. But let your mind take all the time it needs to get back its mojo.
So there you have it! Five ways of kickstarting your creativity and getting back your fiction-writing spark. Don’t let a lack of fiction story ideas leave you in despair. Go out. Read books. Ask questions. Consult your past self. Ask other writers. Relax for a while and come back to your writing. Start developing ideas again!
Mint is a writer and digital marketing pro who lives in coastal Virginia with her family and one lovable pitbull. Her passions include helping people and businesses display their best side through the power of communication, buying her dog costumes he doesn’t want to wear, and talking all day about Batman.
