Where to Find Inspiration for Writing a Book?

Jana Rooheart
13 min readJul 8, 2022

We all know that feeling of an all-consuming routine, described by the words “every day is like the previous day, like two drops of water,” which appears when we wonder if we are on the right path. Self-doubt, as well as lack of motivation, are, alas, commonplace in modern life, which can make you feel like an empty sack. However, you can find inspiration — it is always possible to find inspiration, both outside and inside, in yourself, allowing you to breathe freely and start living, making your dreams a reality! In other words, if you urgently need a source of inspiration or at least a way to make your days brighter, this article by wow essays service is at your service.

Steps

Finding sources of inspiration

  • Nature. Musicians, poets, painters, and many others have found a source of inspiration in nature. Of course, you don’t need to be a musician, poet, painter, etc., to be inspired by nature. Even a simple walk in the park after work can work wonders. Besides the potential to find inspiration, you’ll simply feel better after a walk in the fresh air among the pristine beauty of nature!
  • Historical personalities. If you ever thought that you, a common man, would never leave your mark on the pages of history, know this: hundreds of real-life examples prove otherwise. Some people’s names are still on everyone’s lips, and some are little-remembered — but that doesn’t mean they make any less of a contribution to history!
  • Literature and Art. Although sources of inspiration in real life are plentiful, literary and artistic works are no worse. Movies, books, songs, and other expressive art forms can inspire and inspire. Besides, these are probably the most accessible sources of inspiration these days — after all, listening to a song is a lot easier than conquering Mount Everest! Here are a few examples:
  1. Escape from Shawshank. The story of the years-long friendship between two prisoners of hope, salvation, and revenge.
  2. Somewhere Over the Rainbow. A simple and beautiful song about the eternal hope that somewhere in this world, something good awaits us all. Perhaps only a lazy man hasn’t done a cover of this song, so there are many different versions.
  3. Space Basketball. A movie about how basketball player Michael Jordan and the characters of the animated series “Looney Tunes” defeated aliens in a basketball game. Pretty inspiring movie, by the way.
  • It’s old and familiar. Sometimes the source of inspiration is somewhere near us, just waiting to finally be noticed by you. Try to pay attention to the familiar and familiar, to all the things you’ve done hundreds of times before — but this time, try to notice the details that have remained hidden until now. Any new detail can be the first link in a chain of amazing discoveries that will give you new vision and inspiration.
  • Motivational literature. Of course, it is also worth remembering all those countless motivational books, articles, and publications that contain the secrets of how to find inspiration and, if not to get a star from the sky, then at least to achieve your own goals. There are a lot of such books, and such books are different — some are longer, some are shorter, some are more detailed, some are more thesis-based, some are better, some are worse, some are more reliable. Some are not so much, doctors write some of science, some are self-proclaimed experts, some can change your life, and some are not intended for anything else but to bring the author income.
  • Of course, only you know what works for you. However, if you can, weigh all your options. You don’t want to buy a book with obvious advice for a lot of money, do you? If you’re going to pay, it should be for quality.

Change Your Point of View.

  • Look for new sources of inspiration. Quite often, there is simple boredom behind the lack of inspiration. If so, it will be quite easy to cope with; you just need to get out of your comfort zone and do something new! You may discover something completely new and interesting. Here are some tips in this regard:
  • Travel — Why? A change of scenery is sometimes a great way to cope with homesickness. That’s probably why you hear the advice to “go outside and unwind” so often. And, by the way, the advice is very good — the new environment makes the brain think in a new way. After all, you know that constancy can be tedious, so introduce a little variety to it, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the change!
  • If you have enough money for a long vacation in another country or an extravagant trip, you’re in luck! However, if you don’t have much money, don’t despair — you don’t have to go to the other end of the globe to get inspiration. You can go to a nearby town, which is much cheaper, or even get out in nature for a weekend. You may be surprised at how little you know about the places where you live.
  • Laugh. You can count on the fingers of one hand life situations where laughter will not help. The situation in which you are in a scrape of inspiration is not one of them! Yes, laughter is unlikely to push you to a brilliant conclusion, laughter is unlikely to allow you to immediately achieve all your goals, but it will help you relax, calm down and just live in the moment. In other words, laughter will make you open to new things — including things that can inspire you.
  • Connect with old acquaintances. Meeting up with an old friend, former colleague, or teacher can be a surprisingly pleasant experience, especially if you’re feeling homesick because you have no one to talk to. Accordingly, meeting with old acquaintances not only lifts your spirits but also inspires you with new ideas, new perspectives on old ideas, etc. Think about it: the people you would like to meet again are likely to be the people whose opinion you respect and to whose opinion you listen. Here are a few ideas in that regard:
  • Call friends you’ve lost touch with because you’ve moved or moved to another school.
  • Contact your old teachers and professors, especially if you were friends. Advice from a mentor will encourage you.
  • Write to distant family members you haven’t seen in ages.
  • Find out how your former supervisors are doing — those with whom you had a normal relationship. Here — similar to the advice from your mentor, only in terms of work.
  • Spend time with new people. Yes, spending time with people you know can be a source of inspiration, but talking to a stranger can be just as inspiring. After all, what better way to bring a new perspective to life than with a new person! However, not every person you meet will have new thoughts and perspectives. Some, let’s face it, will be the epitome of pessimism. You may meet them, but don’t be discouraged and keep meeting new people!
  • Look for more information on how to meet people — it will come in handy.
  • You can meet people anywhere — as long as it’s a gathering place. The best, of course, is when there is a gathering of people whose interests are similar to yours — for example, book lovers are better off meeting in libraries or bookstores.
  • Pursue the dream. Even if it is almost unbelievable, fabulous, and unrealistic, strive for it, and may you be rewarded! Remember the saying that “it’s not winning that counts. Is it participating”? It is not a loser’s excuse, as it may seem, but profound wisdom. Just the thought of not being afraid to take a step toward a dream that takes a million steps to achieve will inspire and encourage you for the remaining nine hundred and ninety-nine… well, you know. And even if life forces us to choose between “perfect and beautiful” and “real and attainable,” if you choose the former at least once, you will discover new, surprising, unexpected, and delightful possibilities. It will be great! Here are some tips for that:
  • Record a song or album at home. You may not be able to afford a studio job, but you can also find a free recording studio.
  • Write a book, short story, or article. Yes, pushing it all into print through a major publisher can be very difficult, but smaller publications will be much more… liberal.
  • Make a movie. There is every chance you can for a penny to make a movie that will become a cult, set new standards for the genre, and go into the annals of world cinema. However, it is much more likely that you just successfully performed at the local film festival.
  • Discover your talent for something. If you are good at something, declare it to the world! Yes, not every talent can make you a living, but just making a living can!

Appeal to Your Inner Self

  • Create something. By creating, you get to know yourself. You can see your own reflection in the finished creation by creating something from scratch. Whether a beautiful painting or a sturdy table, every creator leaves a piece of themselves in what they have created with their hands. It is created as a process that allows you to look very deeply into yourself, finding qualities that can become inspiration sources. Here are some tips on this:
  • Do good. Helping others, and especially those in need of help from others is a great way to look at life in a new way. By doing good, you will not only slowly solve the problems that prevent you from achieving your goals, but you will also give others a lot of warmth and make the life of the disadvantaged person in some way much better.
  • The person you are doing a good deed can either be a stranger to you (here, you can give the example of volunteer work in hospices and nursing homes) or someone you know. Helping someone else through a difficult life episode will not only help you find inspiration, but it will also strengthen your friendship with them.
  • Meditate. The benefits of meditation for anyone who wants to find inspiration have long been emphasized by all meditation practitioners, although scientists are still in no hurry to agree with them. However, while the tangible effects of meditation are debatable, its intangible effects are undeniable! Meditation is soothing, gives clarity of mind and thought, and is refreshing and empowering. Even 15–20 minutes of meditation a day can be very beneficial.
  • If you want to know the potential effects of meditation, just sit quietly on the floor or bed, keeping your back straight and your legs crossed. Set a timer for 15–30 minutes, close your eyes, start breathing deeply and think about nothing, or focus on a simple word, phrase, or image until they lose its meaning. Yes, there are more advanced ways to meditate, but this one will do just as well.
  • Look for more information on how to meditate.
  • Pray, if you’re a religious person. Saying a prayer during difficult times will guide and comfort you and give you the strength to cope with the problem and not fall into despair. Of course, how effective the prayer will depend on the strength of your faith, but let’s emphasize that the prayer of a person strong in faith invariably inspires him, and the prayers of those who do not believe are just words, meaningless, and leading to nothing.

Today I have tried to collect some practical tips on getting inspired, proven by time and a huge number of creative people.

I cannot guarantee that these tips will work for you because we are all different, and each person has his or her peculiarities. But I have tried to compensate for this deficiency with many options from which you can surely find something for yourself.

Also, if you have any of your special ways to overcome creative stupor, then no doubt many readers will be happy if you share them in the article’s comments.

1. Distractions Fight

You need a certain degree of concentration to catch the constantly slipping away thoughts. And this degree is directly correlated with the difficulty of the task at hand.

But since we live close to high technology, namely the Internet, it becomes almost impossible to concentrate with Skype, classmates, etc., where we are constantly looking to read or write a message. Add to this list a ringing phone: a cell phone, and perhaps even a home phone. What kind of concentration could we be talking about?

Personally, at such moments I take my notebook and pen, leave all means of communication at home and go to the park or promenade to fully devote myself to the task at hand. If thoughts refuse to go to my head, just take a walk and distract yourself, read a book in the fresh air. Try it, and you’ll be surprised how productive such walks can be.

2. Observe

As everyone has long known, an idea combines old elements in a new way. From this, you can conclude that the more “elements” you have, the more combinations you can form.

Observation of the surrounding world, various events, phenomena, and people is nothing more than an accumulation of material for further creativity. Be curious!

Special mention should be made of observing nature. It is always harmonious, elegant, and so diverse that it can become a treasure trove of images, shapes, and combinations.

3. Literature to Help

Read more. Books can be an inexhaustible source of ideas and inspiration. With their help, you can constantly replenish your stock of thoughts, details, comparisons, and metaphors, and look at something from the author’s point of view, perhaps radically different from what you are used to. In my opinion, while studying another story, the creative mood is created involuntarily at the very moment when you begin to “draw” what you are reading in your head. It is a good workout for the imagination.

Reading must necessarily be diverse. Be versatile; you do not need to fixate on one genre or author.

4. Convenience in Time

According to many creative people, with whom I couldn’t agree more, you need to work at a convenient time. If you (like me, for example) are an owl at heart, then don’t try to squeeze anything out of you at 8 am. Get as much sleep as possible, and try to arrive in a good mood because working with a positive attitude is always much more productive.

5. Take a Break

There are moments in the life of each of us when it is necessary to leave everything and go away: to rest, to get completely distracted from normal life. It does not necessarily have to be a long trip. Even a visit to a museum, an exhibition, a trip to the theater, a meeting with friends, a visit to a nearby city, or a trip to the countryside will do.

If there is an opportunity to travel — why not take it? Getting a lot of positive emotions and impressions, you are unlikely to soon face the problem of “I can’t think of anything.

Traveling abroad is a lot of inspiration, ideas, and efficiency. During them, I constantly ask myself, “Am I really on vacation?” Because the ideas start pouring in such quantities that I can not help but start doing something, a huge number of records appear in my diary. I advise you to get out at least once a year. More often is better!

6. Add Music

There’s no doubt that Music can get you in the creative mood in seconds, so turn up the volume and play your favorite songs. Whether they are sad or joyful, give yourself to the Music, feel it, and be inspired by the words of familiar songs. Reflect on their meaning, analyze and give free rein to your imagination.

7. Collect

Creating your own “archive of inspiration” can be very helpful. Collect all those things that inspire you: it can be photos, things, movies, magazines, books, or someone’s work. Pretty much anything!

And when the need arises, just look in your archive. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of sources of ideas there that will have no problem getting you in the creative mood.

8. Flush Out Unnecessary Thoughts

Unnecessary thoughts and experiences are easily washed away with water. And this is no joke. Sometimes I feel like I’ve reached a standstill in finding a solution to a problem. That’s when I go for a shower.

The water calms me down and washes away all the anxiety, unnecessary thoughts, and fatigue. I can stand under the shower for 30 minutes or even more, just enjoying the sound of the water and feeling calm and peaceful. In this state, when old thoughts have long since been washed away, I begin to think differently and feel refreshed and renewed.

I can’t vouch that this method will work for many people, but personally, it helps me a lot.

9. Limit Yourself

I’ve noticed many times that the more things I have to do and the less time I have to do them, the more I get done. Quite the opposite results from having enough free time: I immediately relax and do much less.

Therefore, sometimes it is useful to put yourself in a hard time frame when you need to do a project “by hook or crook.” Then the brain begins to work actively.

The main point in this method of motivating yourself to accomplish feats is concentration. Going back to the “distractions of battle” advice, be sure to turn off all social media, messengers, and phones so that you can focus as much as possible. When I use this advice, I always set myself up not only to find the solution to the problem (i.e., the process of finding the solution itself), but I tell myself that I will find it.

Alas, this method is not suitable for everyone. If the limited time and its countdown have a depressing and frightening effect on you, likely, you will simply panic.

10. Pay Attention to Yourself

Your inner state is very important. If something bothers you or makes you angry or depressed, working in such a state is not effective. I’m not going to argue that there are people who hide in their work from problems, finding it a good idea, but I think this way is not very good. Eventually, the work will end, and the unresolved problems will weigh heavily on you.

So my advice is simple: be happy! Do the things you enjoy, don’t pile up problems, go out with friends more often and spend more time with your family. There are so many things that just lift your spirits and make you smile. Don’t neglect them and do them as often as possible.

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Jana Rooheart

Jana Rooheart is a WowEssays.com stuff writer with passion for education and psychology.