One of the hardest things for me to do as a blogger is find topics to write about. I have no problems if someone tells me that I should write about X or Y. I can usually do some quick research and knock out a post in a matter of hours. But when I have to come up with something off the top of my head…that is when the sweating and procrastination begin.
That is one of the reasons that I admire Aaron Mahnke so much. He has come up with not just one, but two completely separate (I think) worlds in which he gets to lay out every character, location and detail. Along with that, he is a talented designer and graphic artist. He is one of the most creative people that I know, in multiple fields even. He details some of his writing process in the latest post on his site. But first came his inspiration.
Inspiration:
The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative
All of us find inspiration in different things. It may be books for some, music for others, and friends and family for a lot of people. We live in a dynamic world where we are surrounded by amazing people. I am sure that we all know of a few folks in our own lives that challenge and inspire us every time we talk to them.
Finding inspiration, for me, it a much tougher process. Currently, the only real place that I find writing inspiration is in my Google Reader or my Instapaper queue. I am not say that is a bad thing. In fact, with the stuff that I read in those articles, I hope that I am becoming a better person and a better writer. I am constantly on the lookout for good writing and great writers in which to learn from.
I want to be able to take situations in my life and boil it down to something that I can elaborate on and hopefully write a piece that will help others. Jason does it often and Patrick Rhone is a master at it. They are able to see the things happening in their lives, see a bigger picture and write it down in a way that you will be better for it. I need to be able to expand my worldview in such a way that I see how things that happen everyday in my life can possibly help you when you run into a similar situation. I am not sure how to do that, as of yet, but it is something that I intend on working on.
Where do you find inspiration for your writing?
