In my years of writing, I've found that inspiration can literally come from anywhere. Most of my inspiration comes from music and from my life. But it's somewhat limiting to just use your own life (no matter how crazy it may be!) as inspiration. Sometimes you have to look to other things.

Here are some awesome writing inspiration resources that will keep you writing for the rest of your life:

-All four of the Postsecret books by Frank Warren. Postsecret was started as an art project, but it's now grown into an international phenomenon. People created artwork on one side of a postcard and included one secret that they never told anyone before. Then they mailed it anonymously to Warren. He's published four books showcasing these postcards and the secrets on them, and it's an insight into humanity like you would never even expect. Visit his site: http://www.postsecret.blogspot .com to check some out, and then buy the books.

-The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron. This book is like 500 pages of writing prompts. You will never run out of ideas with this book.

-People magazine and other celebrity tabloids. OK, I know celebrity stuff can be cliche, but it can also be hilarious and crazy and unbelievable and exciting. Author Zoey Dean makes a good living writing YA books about girls who are on the A-list and live in Hollywood with all the glitz and glamour.

-Women's Day and other women's magazines. Here's a great place to find inspiration from other people's lives. I can't even count how many times I read something miraculous that happened to someone and thought, "I should write a story like this."

-People watching. Just go sit on a park bench, or at a table at your local Starbucks, or to a baseball game and watch the people around you. Watch how they move. Watch how they act. Listen to how they talk and what they say. Stories can easily be created around a compelling character (meaning the character can come before the story).

-Play the "What If" game. Sit down and ask yourself, "What If..." and finish the sentence with whatever pops in your head. This is a way of using a situation to create a story. Stephen King mentions in his book, On Writing, that he often creates his stories from a "what if" scenario. And don't limit yourself. What if...anything! What if your house caught on fire and you couldn't get out in time? What if you won the lottery? What if your daughter had dyed her hair pink and started going by the name "Candy?" What if two people, with the same first and last name, met on a train going to Paris? The possibilities are endless...

These are just some of the places where you can find inspiration that will keep you writing for a lifetime. And the most important thing to remember is that inspiration can come from anywhere, so always be looking around you - the people, what you read, what you watch, the stories you hear from other people, etc.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Blanchard.
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