
How do you decide what to write about?
Besides editing and revising, this is probably one of the things I have struggled with the most as a writer.
I will get in the mood to get some good writing done, I’ve eaten so I’m not hungry, I’ve removed all the distractions, I turned off my wifi so I won’t waste time, I have my computer ready to go, but then nothing comes.
It’s infuriating.
What I’ve found, however, is that there are two things that I’ve done (you may be different, but you never know!) which have helped me get that bolt of inspiration.
- Force yourself into a deadline. Whether this means entering into a writing competition, or preparing something for an event (someone’s birthday, or Christmas), having a final deadline forces your mind to sift through the thousands of ideas and finally pick one. If you know it takes you a month to write a 20-page draft, and you have two months to go until the writing competition is over, then you know you have a few days to think, a month to write, then a couple weeks to edit. No matter what your idea is, you have to run with it. Sometimes it’s a great idea at first, other times it’s terrible, but it inspires you to write something else, both are “wins” in my book.
- Get out. I grew up in Utah, so we always had some place breathtaking within driving distance: the Uintah mountains, Arches National Park, sand dunes, mountain lakes, desert plains, red rock canyons. If you’re serious about wanting to write, there is almost no better way to get inspiration than going camping, or at least getting out into nature. Don’t go with a notebook or your phone, don’t worry about taking notes when you have ideas, just let them wash over you as you actually experience the world. Lay down at night and look at how many stars there are. You’ll remember the best ideas when you get back. I’ve always had my best ideas while I was walking a mountain trail, when your mind can think freely without distraction.
Now, imagine combining those two! That’s a recipe for a flood of inspiration. Your mind, your subconscious, has ideas and knows what you will enjoy writing about, you just need to figure out some method of figuring out what they are. Everybody is different, and you may have better methods of opening up your mind and setting your good ideas free, but these two have worked wonders for me.
I’m writing a story with 5 super-powered heroes in it so far there are 2 males and 2 females but should I make the 5th member a male or a female?
I’ve written three books but I hate them all after I finish them. How can I break this cycle and meet my own standards?
All answers can be found on my Quora here.