Tag Archive: inspiration

Where Might You Find Inspiration?

Pexels It’s important to be inspired if you hope to enjoy any form of valid creative output whatsoever. Even those who write novels in depression about decaying themes are inspired to put their thoughts to paper, else they’d simply choose not to. Inspiration, however, is something that can be hard to pin down. It’s not always apparent where might find it. This can lead us to endlessly question where we can find our ‘muse,’ and when it might come. Is the fact that we aren’t writing the novel of the ages our own fault, and if we tried harder inspiration and ideas would come to us? Or is it simply waiting for the right time? Well, the right answer lies somewhere in the middle. It…
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How Can I Get Inspired To Write?

Contributed Post Credit: Whether you’re a blogger, novelist, or screenwriter, getting into the writing mood is often the hardest step of all. Every writer goes through stages where they feel uninspired or lacking in motivation, and it can result in very real problems. Lacking inspiration is different to having writer’s block, which I believe is just an excuse not to work. Rather than struggling for ideas, you simply cannot be bothered to get started on them. This can occur for many reasons. Whatever the source of those troubles might be, finding a way out of the slump is vital. Once you get into the meat of the project, you’ll have no problems racing towards the finishing line of that important first draft. Of course, reviews…
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How I almost forgot why I write (and how I got back on track)

It’s easy to lose sight of why you write. For about two years now, I’ve worked full-time as a freelance writer and social media marketer, penning corporate blogs, articles for SEO specialists, the occasional news story, website copy, and whatever else people will pay me to write. I’ve done freelance work on the side for many years, but that switch in autumn 2014 was a big plunge into icy cold water. It hasn’t always been easy. The money mostly sucks, the workload is hot and cold, the guilt can be crushing, people often don’t want to pay you or they will try to scam you, you have to operate like a small business (which is antithetical to why you write in the first place), and…
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These Are the 5 Authors Who Made Me Want to Write

Writing begins with reading. There is a vague rule of thumb that good writers read. A lot. Granted, reading a lot doesn’t mean you’ll be able to write. It’s a start, though. And without question, the thirst with which I drank in books as a daydreaming kid, and later as an in-way-over-my-head young man, had a huge huge huge (three huges) impact on my later, and very ridiculous, decision to devote my life to writing. It led me to journalism and books and other stuff, and these days, it has me working as a freelance writer. Which is amazing and stupid and can barely buy me coffee in the morning, but it’s so worth it (and SHAMELESS you should totally write me at ericsanjuan@gmail.com and…
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Last thoughts on Bradbury’s passing

I have already posted about Ray Bradbury’s passing, but he had such a big impact on me as a reader and writer that I feel like I want to revisit his career’s influence one more time. He was just that important to what I aspired — and still aspire — to be. As my friend and collaborator Zaki Hasan said in his post on the subject, “the impact he had on my life, as a reader, a filmgoer, and a writer is hard to encapsulate.”   I discovered Bradbury pretty early, and he stuck with me all my life. I’d read most of his work several times, and even 30 years after I first read it, some of it just kills me every time. Dandelion Wine makes…
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