I retired in June from a long career, so I could follow my life-long dreamof writing a novel. My mind was bursting with ideas. In six months, I wrote four books, published two of them, and had two on the editor’s desk. Then I ran out of ideas. I felt as if my well had dried up. My family suggested I might need a rest after so much had happened in such a short time. It bothered me that I didn’t know what my next story might be. Had I run out of ideas altogether? It was a frightening thought.
And then I sat down, opened an Excel spreadsheet and started asking myself questions. I started with the one thought that came to my mind. What if I wrote a sequel to one of the books that I’d already written? If I did, who would be the protagonists? That reminded me of a review I’d received on the first book. The reviewer said something like, “I’d love to read more about this couple.” That helped me decide which book might work for a sequel. But I didn’t want to simply continue the story. What if I wrote about the secondary characters and included parts of the first couple’s continuing story?
Voila! I had my new protagonists. More questions came quickly after that.
How do they meet?
What do they like about each other?
What do they dislike about each other?
What do they want?
What do they need?
What is each character’s main flaw/obstacle?
How do they overcome/change?
And the questions kept coming. Soon, I had a full-blown story in mind. I felt excited and began researching parts of the story about which I didn’t already know. My spreadsheet was filling up fast, and it was past my bedtime!
Photo by Gerrie van der Walt on Unsplash
So, I ask you, “What’s inspiration got to do with writing a romance or any story?”
For me, inspiration came after I started writing. I wrote questions on a spreadsheet, but that’s still writing. It counts. It’s a great way to start, to get those creative juices flowing. If you are feeling stuck, start writing. Use my method, or get out a piece of paper and write whatever comes into your head, stream-of-conscious writing without putting buffers on can birth astonishing brain-children. Take a walk and let nature quiet your mind, then write down things you thought about while walking. Use any method, but make sure it includes writing. You’ll be amazed at the stories that will suggest themselves.
I recently read a blog post by Bryan Hutchinson entitled Do This Crazy Thing to be an Inspired Writer Now! I loved what he had to say about inspiration and writing. Here’s a quote from the post: It’s not a lack of inspiration that causes you to feel uninspired. It’s the desire to not be inspired by what inspiration wants to give you.
Never sit and wait for a proverbial light-bulb to go off.
Pay attention to all notions that come up. Don’t let your internal editor tell you your ideas won’t work. You may just have the next blockbuster waiting inside you.
Speaking of notions, did this article inspire you, give you ideas of how to start? Send me an email and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
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As always, Thank you! Happy Reading! Happy Writing!
Shirley Holder Platt
I found your blog to be so inspiring that I am writing a reply to you.