Pick Up Your Pen and Get Inspired!

Hello everyone! So the next part of Back in the Saddle should be posted by Friday. I had meant to get it up sooner but I am still trying to plan a posting schedule that works for me. In the meantime, here is my first writing tips post! 

If you are like me, you all lead pretty busy lives. You are constantly running to and fro with school, homework, after school activities, a job if you have one, not to mention family events. With all this going on in our lives, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and work on some of the story ideas we have floating around in our heads. Today, I will be giving some tips on how to get inspired to either start writing or write more regularly.

1. Morning vs. Evening?
Different people have different times of the day where they can focus the best. For some people, this time is in the morning. For others, myself in particular, this time is in the evening. It will ultimately depend on your personal preference, and what time of day you can focus the best.

2. How long should I write for?
Unless you have a lot of free time on your hands, or write for a living, you should not feel the need to write for several hours a day. 20-30 minutes a day should do in if you are in a crunch for time. You will be surprised at how much you can write if you take 20-30 minutes a day to write and make it a routine.

3. Quality
When you first sit down to write, do not worry about writing the best thing you have ever written. Just get whatever you have in your head written down on paper. You can always go back later to edit and revise. Or you can put whatever you have just written aside to be inspired by later. Just NEVER throw any of your work away no matter how bad you may think it is. You never know when and where in a story you may end up using it.

4. Pick a method to write
There are two different ways to write, either by hand or on a computer. You will have to experiment to find which way you like to work the best. I use two journals for my writing. One is for my blog writing and the other is for my story writing. Before I got these journals, I experimented with both writing in plain composition and spiral-bound notebooks as well as typing them out on the computer. I only just recently bought my two journals. I have fallen in love with them because I have found that having something nice to write in inspires me to write. Of course, if you hand-write your stories, you will eventually have to type them down the road. I personally am old-school and don't like to type that much, which is why I started this blog to encourage me to type my stories more.  Overall, I think that the more you have a set method of writing, the more you are likely to sit down and write.

5. Pick a place to write
Another thing to consider is to have one or two set locations where you do your writing at. This can be a place where you focus the best at, such as at your desk. Or it can be a place that inspires you the most, like the great outdoors. I love being outside in the sunshine, and maybe playing a bit of music as I write. So next time before you start to work on writing another masterpiece, go and pick a place where you feel like you will produce your best work. 

6. Write about what you love!
This point is perhaps the best point out of them all to remember. If ever you are in need of inspiration as a writer, just write about what you love. Things you are passionate about are the best things to draw inspiration from. Don't worry about what others may think, just write for the enjoyment of it.

So, there you have it. My six tips to help you be inspired in your writing. I challenge you this week to take some of these tips and incorporate them into your writing routine. Leave a comment and let me know how it goes!