In search of inspiration

Inspired by a crushed coke can

Inspiration strikes when we least expect it, and usually at the most inopportune moment. It rarely happens when we sit down at our PCs to do some writing. But when it does strike, make sure you note down those ideas and flashes of brilliance, because they have a nasty habit of disappearing.

The idea for my reluctant reader book, Nightmare was inspired by a crushed pop can reflected back through my car windscreen one night. It looked like a grotesque face, and when I said to my passenger:

"Can you see a horrible face in my windscreen?" 

He answered, "It's just the reflection of my coke can. Want me to move it?"

"No," I said. "It's given me a great idea for a story!"

Inspiration can be as silly as that!

If you store ideas away, when you are sitting down, raring to get writing, you'll have something ready and waiting for you to make a start on. 

As you'll know, before you can write anything, you need at least the spark of an idea. Fortunately, ideas and sources of inspiration are all around us:

• Places we visit
• Our workplace
• Holidays
• Buildings
• Events throughout history
• Photographs
• TV and newspapers
• Dreams and nightmares
• People we see or meet
• Themes and emotions
• Objects
• The scent of something
• A song
• An overheard remark
• Art and antiques

The list goes on. The tiniest little incident, sound, smell or thought can spark an idea for a story. The trick is to catch hold of that spark and hold onto it until you can develop it into something more substantial. Often, an idea needs to germinate in your mind before you know what you want to do with it. This mulling over process can take weeks, months, even years. I'm not however, suggesting you spend years thinking about something before starting to write!

From my own experience, the tiniest little things have led to books, short stories and articles:

My brother buying an abandoned canal boat inspired Fishing for Clues. Driving past open-curtained windows at night inspired me to write Pushing his Luck. A music concert led to Stealing the Show. A holiday in the Isle of Wight prompted Disaster Bay. A passer-by inspired short story, The Magic of Christmas. A newspaper headline inspired The Uninvited. A church gave me the idea for Celeste. A crumpled tin can, a pendant; a visit to a museum; a derelict house; a newspaper delivery boy; a cobweb strewn window – they have all resulted in stories, books and articles, and the list goes on.

A newspaper headline inspired this YA book

Store your ideas away safely

Ideas can flit in and out of your head all day long, so be sure to have some method of storing them safely so they can’t escape! Maybe a notebook, or a box, or a folder on your PC, what about a noticeboard? Or you could store images online on Pinterest. How do you hold onto your ideas?

Don't let your ideas escape!

Developing that spark

It only takes a spark of an idea to inspire you to write. But a spark is not a story, so how do you expand a spark into a fully-fledged story or book?

Stories hinge around characters. So, start to think what sort of characters would fit into this vague scenario you're gradually creating. Think about the setting – where is this to take place? Remember that stories need conflict, so your main character needs to be struggling with something. Without conflict you don’t have a story. Give that main character an aim or a goal, and make sure there are lots of pressures to stop them from achieving it.

There will be more tips on creating characters, conflict and plotting in future weeks, so keep popping over to my blog. And I'd love to hear what weird and wonderful things have inspired you to write. 

Ann's Writing Tips: Getting organised

The difference between a writer and someone who just wants to be a writer, is that one procrastinates, coming up with excuses for not doing any writing, and the other simply gets on with it, and writes.

We all lead such busy lives that it's easy to feel guilty about wanting to sit down and indulge in our passion for writing. There’s so much that we should be doing, that writing ends up being bottom of our list of priorities. So, now is the time to get organised.

Get organised

Analyse your days, take note of what spare time you actually have free, even if it's just a few minutes. For example, do you find yourself sitting waiting for other family members at dancing/swimming/football practice/school? If so, have a notebook and pen with you. 

Go to bed an hour later or an hour earlier than usual and use that time to write.

If you travel to work by bus or train, spend the journey writing. Don’t miss your stop though, as time flies when you are writing.

Get into the habit of free writing – anything, your thoughts, the weather, what you’re going to have for dinner. The simple practice of writing will get your creative juices flowing. These bits of writing are throwaway pieces, for your eyes only.

Never be without a notebook

Don't sit waiting for inspiration. Plan what you intend to write as you’re going about other everyday tasks, so when you sit down to write you’re off to a flying start.

Organise your family so they know you need time to write.

Organise your writing times and stick to them. Write every day, even if only for a short while.

Place pens and notebooks around the house, car, greenhouse, handbag, pocket etc., so you can jot ideas down as they occur. If you don't, they will certainly disappear.

Don't sit staring at a blank PC screen or page, write random throwaway sentences and gradually you’ll be writing words that are worth keeping. Free write – you can perfect and revise later.

Find time to read – not just for enjoyment, but to study how other writers achieve results. Also read as many writing ‘how to’ books and magazines as possible. Writing is a craft where you never stop learning.

Stock up on ‘tools of the trade’. Notebooks and pens – always have these to hand. Keep an ideas book, an ideas box, a log book, scrap book, dictionary, folders and stationery. Invest in a copy of The Writers & Artists’ Yearbook.

My current log book

Do your market research. Know what opportunities are out there. Analyse the magazines and publishers you’d like to try for. Know what they want, understand their readership. Read their submission guidelines.

Keep your eyes peeled for writing competitions.

Join a local writing group or class.

Remember - There's only one way to become a writer – and that's to write! Don't procrastinate!

My book, Become a Writer is currently being updated and will be available soon.