A List of Ways to Get Inspired to Write...

Hello boys and girls! As some of you know already I love to write about almost anything and I am never without an idea so I have decided to share some of my inspiring sources with you. But first I have a little game I would like you to play. I want you to imagine that you are an animal, you can be any animal you want. For the next 30 mins be that animal: behave like that animal in every way and don't revert back to yourself until the 30 mins are over. If you have kids in the house let them join in, they can pick their own animal. You can only talk in the animal's tongue and you can only move in the way the animal does. If your doorbell rings or your phone pings remember what animal you are and don't drop your character.

Lets take a frog for an example:

Animal: Frog

Characteristics: Two big bulging eyes. Long strong back legs that are adapted to leaping and swimming. Long flicking tongue to catch flies (a frog's tongue is 1/3 of it's body length, frogs can lift 1.4 times their own body weight with their tongue (imagine being able to lick your back and lift another person with your tongue, not at the same time of course)).

Let's get hopping, if you're a frog that is!

1. You

Yes, you. Your childhood, school days, siblings, college, work, a favorite memory, a holiday, a special place, a grandparent, a friend, a much loved book or toy.

2. Love

Love of a friend, a boy, a girl, a parent or grandparent even a teacher, a place or building, an imaginary love affair.

3. Dislike

What makes you cringe? What makes you see red? What sends you over the edge?

4. Children

You won't need to do too much here, just watching them is enough. Kids have great imaginations. Children's art is especially creative. And children's books can be interesting.

5. Music

Listen to the words in the music not just the sound. What is the song about? Who is the song about?

6. Literature

Books (fact, fiction and memoirs) are a very obvious choice of course but magazines, short stories, journals, news papers, history and science papers to name but a few are also full of interesting facts.

7. Words

Words are are our bread and butter, but how many of us really understand the meaning of words: She's an agelast! A right snollygoster!

8. Colours

Pick a clour and write about it. Think texture, shades, meaning, expression. She was pink with delight. It was a purple morning. His lean brown body flexed (don't get too excited). They were green with envy.

9. Google

I love google. I google A right through to Z. Random words can be a surprising influence on imagination.

10. Fear

What do we fear? What do you fear? Spiders? Jelly fish? Being alone? Buried alive? Buried dead? Nightmares?

11. Animals

Animals are interesting subjects to write about, fact or fiction, real or imaginary.

12. Weather

The weather is a fabulous canopy of inspiration and often reflects and/or encourages our moods.

13. Holidays

What was your last holiday with family, friends or even on your own. Think food, culture, faces, places, sounds, smells, surroundings...

14. Conversation

Listen when other people speak. Engage in conversation. I get great raw material from other people's experiences and how they express themselves.

15. Art

Visit an art exhibition or an art museum. There are numerous ideas to be discovered hidden in dried paint, oozing from stone sculptures and the strangers that surround you.

16. Outdoors

Get outside and walk. Whether you are surrounded by bricks, trees, fields or ocean, there is inspiration everywhere.

17. The World Health Organisation

I know this one sounds odd but the amount of information you can gather from this organisation is amazing. If you like stats and facts it is a great source.

18. History

History of course is just another person's story. We can pick a small piece of history and turn that fact into our own fiction. Read 'The Dovekeepers' by Alice Hoffman, based on the truth with a factious story being the body of the book, a fabulous read.

19. News

Today's news is a constant watering-hole of inforamtion for any article/content writer. What is relevant in the news today is a worthy hot topic. News that is constant or at least has on going relevance is most important.

20. Food

Recipes can have their own story, the ingredients being the plot, the method being the script and of course the result being the end or even the beginning. Food is an introduction to culture, expression and sharing. Food can be about seasons, flavours, places, family and relationships plus much more.

21. Fashion

What is in, what is out, what is it all about? From weddings, to kids clothes, funky socks, maternity wear, lip sticks and mascara, to gold watches and toe rings, pillows for your pooch, furniture for every room, cars with bars and phones that twinkle. When it comes to fashion there is no end of the possibilities.

22. Health

Health covers several popular evergreen topics for example exercise, weight loss, fitness, illnesses, food, diets, food intolerence etc. Books, videos and audio are all popular mediums.

23. Platforms

Writing job platforms are an ingenuios way of probing your brain matter. All you have to do is read the job options and get inspired.

24. Dictionary

Pick a page and write down all the words on that page. Think about those words and what you could write. For example: press-up, pressure, pressure cooker, prestige, presume, pretence, pretend, pretext, pretty, prevail. After some thought I could write an article on any of the following:

• A health blog using only body weight to gain muscle.
• Life pressures and how we can help our selves cope with day to day stresses.
• An advert for a prestige pressure cooker.
• How to deal with people's presumptions when they know nothing about you!
• Should you pretend not to care when your teenager says mean things?
• Is being pretty more important than being clever?

25. Documentaries

Covering everything and anything from China to serial killers and witches to ancient egypt the list in endless.

Regardless of what subjects you write about, it is always a good idea to stretch your imagination whether that is fictional or factual or both is up to you. The most important thing about writing is to write and be consistent. Write every day.

Content/article writing requires research in most cases. I have a hard copy note book that I write all my research into, it is my bible and I refer to it again and again.

Read: ever writer is an even better reader. I highly reccommend the 'Dove Keepers' for any newbies to reading. It is well written and a beautiful story, based on history.