In Search of Inspiration

This month I have been trying to get back into the writing groove. I’ve been prioritising time in my busy schedule to ensure I at least make time to write twice a week. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but between keeping on top of our podcast, working full time, and my other commitments, it is a challenge to make the time for writing when there is so much other stuff to be done.

Consequently, this month I have been actively seeking ways to inspire myself to write more and get back into the writing headspace. The first step was meeting up with our novel critique group. Not online for a feedback session, but in person. It was refreshing to see my writing friends again and just talk about writing over a cup of hot chocolate. There is also something reassuring about hearing other writers’ struggles – while writing may be solitary, we all face the same hurdles at one time or another.

I have also been trying to rekindle my passion for our ancient Greece novel. And it just so happens that the Auckland Museum has an Ancient Greece exhibition on loan from the British Museum with an accompanying lecture series. This weekend, I took the time to listen to an ancient history professor speak about the battle tactics of the ancient Greeks (and the controversy surrounding them). His whole lecture was incredibly relevant, and it got my mind churning about how to incorporate all the new knowledge into our book.

Sticking with our ancient Greece book, I have also been trying to spark my creativity in other ways. I took our own advice from our most recent culturing creativity episode and decided to try a new tactic. Enter the mood board. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to make a mood board about the ancient Greece setting in our novel to try and capture more of the essence of our book. Set the mood. Figure out the tone. And feel inspired to write again. I’m not sure how well it worked, but it was a fun exercise, and it did help me feel out the setting a bit more.

Only time will tell how my targeted attempts at getting inspiration will help my writing, but I feel like it can’t hurt. I’ve been so unproductive lately that any help, no matter how small or insignificant, is a good thing.

How do you find inspiration when you are in a slump? Let me know in the comments below.

-A