Writing is my passion; but sometimes, it is really difficult to know where to get started and it is also really difficult to stay disciplined to find time to write. One of my students recently asked me where to find inspiration, without a class, or a group, how do we motivate ourselves to feel inspired to sit down with pen and paper? Here are my thoughts:
Writing for the Pure Pleasure of Writing:
Writing for me didn’t start with fictional stories, it started at the age of six when I picked up a pen and started documenting the things that I found overwhelming or awe inspiring in the world. I also loved the physical act of making the letters and words on the page and found it soothing creating the loops and swirls of hand written text.
Nicole Wood Jouve (2001, p12) writes in her chapter: On Keeping a Diary, in The Creative Writing Course book, that ‘writing is a source of tactile and visual pleasure. I like the activity of writing, somewhat under threat in the computer age. I enjoy writing as a craft. Something material in which the whole body can be involved.’ I think this is something that we don’t talk about enough, as well as enjoying the act of writing I also love typing, the satisfying click of the keys and words forming on a blank screen. If I am struggling to find the words or time to write, then sometimes I create lists. I have a game with my children when we go on holiday – we try to find 100 words to describe where we are. These lists are a great way of writing quickly and also a great resource to return to and write in depth about a place. Also a useful warm up before starting prose. I also sketch a lot (also easier with children around and something they find easier to join in with). I have included a reference for my favourite learning to draw book (see bottom of this post), for anyone that might want to explore this further. My sketches often inform later pieces of writing.
Writing as a Way of Making Sense of the World:
Writing diaries and journals are a great way of reflecting and recording what is happening around us, as Jouve also discusses, writing diaries can be like talking something through with a friend, it can help a writer to find their voice. It might not be writing that we publish, but might act as a helpful reference point or memory to return to which we can then build into something else. Jouve also mentions diaries as a point of transformation, we can explore different perspectives and who we want to be in the world. If we have something which we are focused on, keeping a record and an inspirational journal of our progress can help us to stay focused. For me it helped me to feel free, to explore difficult things and to savour memories, to get things down and let them go. The challenge with diary keeping is that we can fall into the trap of just ‘telling’ what happened in our day: ‘Today it was cold, we went to….we saw….. etc’.
Here are some interesting ways in which you could journal instead:
- Use a journal as a research tool. I keep a nature journal, if I find something interesting I often start with the facts about a species when nature writing and see where that leads me. Often as I build up information and what I like to call ‘sketches with words’ other more imaginative ideas start to form. I use my journals often as a reference point for poetry.
- Try writing a record of your day as if you were showing someone your day without telling them about it. Imagine you are writing as if they are retracing your steps alongside you. We often think our lives are boring, but when we start to explore our day with a narrative voice it is often surprising the things that we can turn into an interesting story. Play with humour and drama through your writing.
- ‘Found fiction and poetry’ – if you visit somewhere with information leaflets or hand outs – try using them as a source point of journalling. Take some ‘found words’ in the form of a leaflet and circle the words which stand out to you, or snip up the words and re-order them. See what arises from your subconscious. This is a great way of playing with words and vocabulary. We can all get stuck in language patterns and with our favourite words, this is a great way of shaking things up.
Writing as a way of Connection:
I think this is the main reason why most people write. We have something to say, or a story to share and we want to put our voice into the world. I often hear that writing is a solitary act and people comment that it must be lonely. I would disagree. Writing for me is like baking, when we have created something delicious there is nothing more rewarding than other people enjoying what we have created. Writing is my way of connecting with the world. I miss the days when everyone wrote physical letters, when the post would drop on the matt and I would carry a folded letter in my pocket for the day – a friend’s words close to me. The challenge is finding the right audience. We don’t want to over-saturate people with our voice and there is nothing more disheartening that entering lots of competitions or writing to publishers, only to be rejected and feel silenced. I think of it this way, publishing is the icing on the cake, but it’s not the only thing that my writing is riding on.
Ways to get started writing for connection:
- Look for local writing groups, I struggled to find a long term group that met the level and depth of writing that I wanted to do, however there are now many more writing forums and groups happening online which offer much more variety. So I would encourage you to have a go. It’s great to meet with others interested in writing and sharing words. In particular, I love teaching nature writing not only for the work that is produced but also for the stories that are shared when we are discussing what we have written. Having a weekly group is a great way to carve out time to write and to keep the momentum going.
- Explore education. I thought I had missed the boat in pursuing a writing career, until I discovered that you don’t have to have English degree to complete an MA in creative writing. Starting an MA in creative writing was the best thing that I have done. It gave me focus, inspiration, stretched me out of my comfort zone, but most importantly connected me with others who were as interested in creating writing as I was. I can not describe how inspiring and motivating this was and it was worth every penny.
- Investigate publications, competitions and magazines that have writing prompts and inspiration. There are some great resources to help get you started. I have included a few ideas at the end of this blog. My word of caution would be that ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. Like great baking, enjoy other people’s writing for what it is. Beware of your inner critique who will tell you ‘You will never write like that, you will never get published etc etc’. This is just your inner self trying to protect you from upset, ignore it and keep going. If publication is the icing on the cake but not the end game focus, there is no harm in entering competitions and publication calls – but be sure to have other areas where you can share and receive feedback from your work. There is room for us all in the world and many other ways of connecting with people through words than just publication.
- Finally and most importantly, read. Don’t be scared of losing your own voice. Reading is the best way to align yourself to the style and forms of writing that you enjoy. It helps us to understand what we do and don’t like, we need to taste other people’s work as a way of connection to inspire our own words. Reading with others and reviewing books is another great way of exploring the form and creating connections.
Writing with Purpose:
I’ve broken my own rule today, of only writing short blog posts. The reason I have this rule as I think many people make a habit of blogging just for the sake of writing and posting regularly without much thought about what they are sharing just for creating content. I try to write with purpose, when I have something important to share on my blog, but also try to keep it brief and easy to dip into.
A great way of getting inspired to write is to find a passion. For me it is the natural world. I will never get bored of exploring this incredible world. Writing helps us to examine things around us in more detail and properly observe what is happening. It’s a way of looking at the world with wonder and awe, remembering what it was like making new discoveries as a child.
Try examining Why you write. Complete a 5 – 10 minute free-writing exercise jotting down all the reasons that motivate you and what interests you in the world. This can be a great way of exploring what motivates you, whether it’s creating fiction, keeping a journal, poetry or a specific genre that interests you. For anyone struggling with allowing themselves creative time, The Artists Way by Julia Cameron is a lovely way to get started and to give yourself permission to nurture your inner creative self.
Some ideas for writing with purpose:
- If you are interested in writing novels and fiction use the real world for inspiration. Take a notebook to a cafe or park, use your observations as start points for sketching out characters and ideas for storylines.
- Look to the old stories (folklore, mythology and fairy tales) to inform your writing. Can you create a modern tale from old? Folklore can make a great foundational structure in which to build a modern tale.
- Find a passion, look around your home, what things are you drawn to, what have you collected, what do you surround yourself with? Whether its particular art, plants, pets – explore this further through your writing.
Writing as a habit:
As Mary Oliver mentions in the Poetry Handbook, one of the first things we need to do is simply to show up! Being disciplined in writing time and pushing through the barriers, the inner critique and the why is one of the hardest steps. I like to start with one notebook and a commitment to fill it. I rely on timers to prompt me to write, I book writing time in my diary and set an alarm for a set amount of time to get me started. By making it a regular habit it will become easier to stay focused. If you choose a theme or purpose to your writing this will also help, so that you can build and re-visit different ideas as your writing journey grows.
Useful books and resources:
Creative Writing Books:
Magazines: (These are a few I have enjoyed, however a quick google search of ‘creative writing magazines’ will bring you a lot of options – so if you have a specific genre or interest such as poetry I would encourage you to delve a bit further as there are some great resources available)
- The Literary Review a great way of delving into literature. I’ve made some great discoveries of texts I might not have come across through this magazine.
- Mslexia a magazine (online and on paper) for women who write. Packed full of interesting articles, writing prompts and opportunities to enter your own work. I only discovered this recently but found it full of interesting ideas.
- SpeltMagazine – this was recommended to me recently – A poetry and creative non-fiction magazine which celebrates the rural experience. A lovely resource for anyone interested in nature writing.
I hope that this blog post was useful!
Best wishes,
Emma
Adventures from Base Camp 