Why You Need to Know What Inspires You...

…at least if you work like I do.

Recently, I’ve found myself more invested in my own writing. I still don’t know whether it’s destined to remain something I do as a hobby or if it might become something more of a career. Either way, I enjoy it a lot. In some cases I like doing topical analysis/blabbering – such as now – while other times I like working on longer pieces of fiction.

For blogging, the opportunity to self-publish lots of smaller pieces of writing has been helpful in keeping me consistent. I am in a different mindset when I’m working on longer projects, though. Every large project I’ve attempted to tackle has remained unfinished, and I’ve tried to lay the blame on a number of different targets. “I don’t have a good work ethic.” That’s not it. When I have ideas to write down, I get excited! It’s a rush. If that’s the case, however…it means I’m not working on something worthwhile. “My concept is not very good.” Sometimes this is actually true, but it can’t be used as a crutch. If it’s a new project, this is pretty likely. My current project, for comparison, has been in the works for about a decade. I’d like to think that I have enough common sense that I would have moved on from this years ago if it weren’t any good. I love the concepts, I love the characters, and I love how it makes me feel.

But if that’s the case, why haven’t I been able to get myself to do more work on it until recently?

Some writers are capable of forcing a schedule upon themselves. They get up, they exercise, they eat breakfast, they write, and the rest of the day also goes as planned. Sure, they might not write anything they end up keeping that day, but they maintain a sort of literary momentum. Perhaps if I wrote full-time that would work for me, but trying to do that every few days just doesn’t have the intended effect.

Monitor yourself. If you’re like me, you have occasional bursts of creativity followed by the desire to actually get your words down, be it on paper or stored in a document somewhere on your hard drive. The problem with that is the brevity of it all. If I tried to write a novel like that – writing only during those magical “I feel like it” periods – it would take me decades. This is why I decided to begin manually jump-starting my desire to write.

There are a few things that inspire me: new-to-me music, really good music, video games with good stories, movies, and even some exceptional television shows. (Weirdly enough, I don’t really like reading, though I do have a few favorite books that I could read again and again.) All of my quality, marathon writing sessions have happened directly following some sort of intake of inspirational material. It’s hard not to be moved to write by a stunning ending to a movie or a cliffhanger episode of a show that leaves you wanting more.

If you’ve paid enough attention to your own work habits, you may have realized what it is that inspires you to work. While this piece focuses on writing, it can apply to many things. I like playing music as well, and I can easily see where one might find inspiration to create new sounds. Maybe you’re even a photographer or a painter, and if that’s the case, it’s good to know that there are endless visual ideas to explore. Think of how many sights have never been seen! It boggles the mind, yet you could be one of the people birthing the fantastic creations that will fill the gap. I want you to put on your favorite movie, your favorite album, read your favorite book, or do whatever it is that really stimulates you. If you put all of that newfound energy into something all your own, you might be inspiring someone else someday.