(by 6 people)
Not feeling inspired? Try these ideas to get you going...
As much as I love creative writing, I sometimes don't give myself enough time to work on it. That means that the time I do have needs to be productive as possible.
But, if I only have thirty minutes to work on a poem or story, I can't afford to spend 25 of it trying to come up with an idea to work with.
I use some of these tips to get creative writing ideas.
For more writing tips visit my blog.
Keep a Creative Writing Idea File
Carry a small pocket-sized notebook around with you. Then when an idea strikes you will have a place to write it down. Transfer it to your larger notebook.
That way when you sit down to write, you just pick the idea you want to work with.
You can keep track of all your ideas this way.
Act Like a Kid to Stimulate Creativity
When I feel stopped up creatively, I think about what I liked to do as a kid. I carried around this canvas bag filled with paper, crayons, and other art supplies.
My bag was well stocked with idea books and coloring pages. I would sit for hours looking through the contents of that bag and doing some of the activities contained within it.
I still do that. I like to visit CrayolaStore.com
Of course, I could go to other craft stores and buy craft kits that are a little more complicated. But I like the simplicities of the products that are designed for kids.
I am looking to stimulate creativity and get ideas for my creative writing, not paint a masterpiece.
Keep a notebook nearby - the ideas will flow naturally once you do this!
In the Present - A Writing Exercise
My favorite one lasts ten minutes. I call it the "in the present" exercise.
Here's what you do:
- Find an inspiring place to sit while doing this exercise. It could be a busy cafe, a nature setting, your own kitchen, etc.
- Set your timer for ten minutes.
- For the duration of those ten minutes, write about what is going on in the present moment.
Ex. "I hear my fingers tapping on the keys. A baby cries. There's a bee in the room that keeps flying into the window, buzzing as it hits, Perhaps damaging its wings." - When the time is up, read what you wrote aloud. This is a great exercise to do that will help you write descriptions. And, the images that come up in the exercise may inspire some more ideas.
Try Writing a Novel Instead
Writing a novel is more time consuming, but you only need to come up with one idea. And if you work on it every day for 30-60 minutes, you could have your novel written in about a year.
This saves you from having to come up with idea after idea. Plus, some people are better at writing novels than short stories. Perhaps you are one of them.
Books about Creativity
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 01/09/2009) 
Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 01/09/2009)
The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 01/09/2009)
Pick a Selfish Project
To solve that problem, I have at least one selfish project going at any one time.
Currently, my selfish project is a blog I started at tumblr called Be Creative. I write about my creative journey and include quotes, photographs, websites, and other musings that inspire me.
Words in a Jar
If I were to put together my "words in a jar" now, these are the words I'd put. You can use these if you want.
Purple
Business
Skyscraper
Dandelion
Daffodil
Sky
Blue
Pasta
Mama
Bambino
Italian
Violin
Car
Yellow
Hamburgers
Grill
Hands
Neighbors
Red
Wine
Creativity Resources
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 01/09/2009)
Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 01/09/2009)
The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 01/09/2009)
What do you think?
SelfishBeat wrote...
Dear kohuether,
I personally liked this lens and I had it reviewed on my 'Lens of the Week':
http://www.squidoo.com/lensreview
Great Job
Posted March 28, 2008
KimberlyDawnWells wrote...
Great start! You could even create a lens for each idea and give readers whole lists of products and tips to try.
Posted August 20, 2007
