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May 13, 2010, 02:26 PM ET
Writer's Boot Camp: Inspiration Edition
We at ProfHacker are a prolific bunch. Three ProfHacker posts a day, five days a week, since July? That's a lot of writing. Prolific writing, however, shouldn't be confused with easy writing. Some of us here struggle a bit producing what we need to produce here plus writing that is required for our jobs.
And since we are a prolific, but generous, bunch, we share what we have with you. We have written about the commitment to write, writer's block, the DRAW method, writing groups (in person and on line), writing strategies, and we've even compared ourselves to athletes (OK, not us personally, but us as writers).
Since we are writing so often, we are always on the lookout for ways to inspire us to write more, to write differently, to write more effectively. Inspiration is the Writer's Boot Camp theme for today. What inspires you to write?
A quick poll among writers offered these inspiration-producing activities. What can you add to the list?
- Get some exercise, even if it's doing some light stretching. There seems to be a direct connection between your body and your mind.
- Distract yourself from your usual routine. Take a new route to work, walk counterclockwise on the track (when you usually walk clockwise), wear a different pair of shoes, take a bike when you usually drive).
- Spend time at a local museum or art gallery and let the work of others inspire you. Notice the art, the colors, the people, space.
- Turn off all the electronics around you: the iPhone, the iPod, the PDA, the computer, facebook and twitter. Allow yourself to experience life without the sensory deluge electronics provides.
- Visit a construction site where the work of the body and the work of the mind coincide. How can you learn from the site workers?
- Go to a local music store (remember, you are avoiding iTunes and computers for a while) and browse through the rows of CDs. Let the CD art inspire you. Let the classifications of music (those the store imposes and those you could impose) inspire you. Let the store soundtrack inspire you.
- Pick up a musical instrument and play, if you can. If you can't play, play anyway.
- Take photographs, as these allow you to see the world a little differently.
- Make a concerted effort to look at your world askew. Perspective can change just about anything.
How about you? What do you use as inspiration when you need to write? Please leave your suggestions in comments below.
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Comments
1. rtasaka - May 13, 2010 at 03:29 pm
go for a walk or drive.
make a map of what you want to write (i.e. how different elements are related).
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