Writers need inspiration. Sometimes we get flashes from no-where. But often it’s the places we go, the people we meet and the things we experience that provide the exciting idea. Unfortunately short days, longs nights and cold, wet weather don’t lend themselves to getting out and about. Add in the current health situation and we’ve become a bunch of real homebodies. So how do writers get their creativity flowing when they’re stuck inside? Here are five ideas you could try:

1) Read a book

This is an easy one. No doubt you’ve got tons, including an every-growing pile of new ones. If you haven’t already, now is the time to get to it. To give a boost to your writing, try genres you wouldn’t normally read. And if you don’t ordinarily read much non-fiction why no give some of that a whirl?

2) Fall down a Wiki hole

Yes I’m encouraging you to go on the Internet – but only for inspiration. Wikipedia has some great articles about real (and not so real) things that could become the basis of poems or prose. And if that’s not for you there are plenty of other websites out there. Just be careful you don’t end up mindlessly browsing. A site blocker can be helpful to keep you off the worst time-sucking places. I also encourage you to make notes as you go and perhaps set a timer as a metaphorical string to pull you out!

3) Do some sorting

Come on I can’t be the only one who hasn’t Marie Kondo-d their whole house right? Going through old documents, photos, nick-nacks etc not only gives you the chance to see if they spark joy, but could also spark a long forgotten memory that may just form the seed of a story.

4) Go through your old work

I’ve got a more detailed blog post about this, but if you’re anything like me you’ll have notes and ideas and half written bits of fluff all over the place. Pull out those notebooks, dust down those computer files and go sniffing for some inspiration (and possibly a laugh/cringe as you read some of your old work).

5) Watch out of the window

You may not have a lot going on in your street – but how will you know if you don’t twitch those curtains every so often? See that cat – who does it belong to? Number 12 just got a big package – what’s inside? There’s a pair of joggers – what’s their relationship? Or maybe you’ll see nothing at all and just allow your thoughts to naturally roll around without distraction till you get an intriguing idea.

So there are five ideas about how to get inspired inside your own home. Do you have more? Please share in the comments.

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