by Carol Gioia

Created on: August 09, 2009

Writers are generally observant and inquisitive individuals. Putting those natural attributes into high gear will garner many sources of inspiration for writing.

In the course of an average day there are many subjects presented, in overt and covert ways, that lend themselves to informative articles and entertaining creative writing.

Sources of inspiration for writing:

* Conversations

* News

* Daily experiences

* People-watching

* Daydreaming

Conversations

Talking on the phone or conversing with a visiting friend or relative, on any random variety of subjects, can spark inspiration. A friendly exchange with a neighbor, a clerk waiting on you at the store, or an acquaintance you unexpectedly bumped into on the street, could have you walking away with a creative idea for a timely piece of writing.

Having a heart to heart talk with your spouse or children will inspire a pertinent subject.

My daughter and I were talking on the phone about how difficult it is for fathers and teenage sons to relate to one another without conflict. I immediately thought, What a great subject for a parenting article. Writing inspiration abounds in conversations.

News

Watching the news on television, or reading the daily newspaper can inspire. Local community newspapers usually have little tidbits of information to expand into full-fledged informative articles. Standing in line at the supermarket and perusing the titles on the covers of displayed magazines is another impromptu source of ideas. Even the front page of your computer internet has daily news teasers that can easily be expanded into full-featured articles.

Daily experience

Much creative writing is derived from mundane daily tasks. Walking the dog in the early morning puts you in touch with nature. One early morning I spied a raccoon scurrying away to hibernate from his nocturnal foray and was inspired to write a humorous poem about the critter. Carpooling the kids could inspire a parenting article about tips on keeping children occupied in the car. Watching you child at his sport event could inspire an article on over-controlling parents. With daily experience, you are only limited by your imagination regarding how much inspiration you glean from observation.

* People-watching

People-watching is an entertaining activity wherever you happen to be. Airports, public transportation, malls, restaurants are all good people-watching opportunities. Observing the human behavior of strangers is a good way to spice up your creative juices. You don't know their story, but you can allow your mind to conjure up possibilities without limit. This is when having an inquisitive nature and expansive imagination serves you well.

* Daydreaming

Allowing your mind to take you away to past pleasures or future possibilities is a great source of inspiration. You can garner ideas for memoirs, testimonies and first person stories this way.

Meditation and journaling are two other options for tapping what is already inside of you for potential writing opportunities.

Some writers report having vivid and realistic dreams while sleeping and are able to recall the details enough upon wakening to make notes and use the experience to create a work of fiction.

There are as many sources of inspiration for writing as there are writers. Inspiration comes in many forms and is a different experience for each individual.

Observation and an inquisitive mind are the keys to sources of inspiration for writing.

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