When you’re lacking inspiration, even meaningful activities like writing can feel like a chore. Some people wait for inspiration to find them, and others go find inspiration for themselves. Are you going to wait for inspiration to find you or are you going to find it for yourself? I have a feeling you know what you should do! The list below details four strategies to help you find the inspiration to write.

1. Set up a Reading Routine

Reading is beneficial for people with all kinds of careers and passions. However, reading is especially beneficial to writers, since being a reader and writer go hand in hand. When you’re reading a book, look for anything that inspires you to write. Whether it be a character, plot line, or even an unfamiliar word, books are filled with creative ideas looking to be reused!

2. Go Outside More Often

The world is an unusual and exciting place! Some locations are more compelling than others, but even your neighborhood can be a fascinating place if you pay close attention. The next time you go outside, bring a notebook with you to jot down anything you find interesting or noteworthy. Once you get back home, use your newfound ideas as creative writing prompts.

3. Find a Writing Partner

Writing is often thought of as a solitary activity, but it doesn’t have to be when you have a writing partner. A writing partner not only helps you stay socially connected but also helps you generate more creative ideas. A writing partner encourages you to ponder creative ideas that you may not have been able to come up with by yourself.

4. Free Write

Have you ever heard of free writing? Well, it’s basically what it sounds like. Freewriting is often referred to as “stream-of-consciousness” writing; it involves automatically writing anything and everything that comes to mind onto the paper. It’s like the rough draft version of a rough draft. Freewriting is an excellent strategy for finding inspiration from all the nooks and crannies of your brain.

Do you have any strategies you personally use to find inspiration? If not, did any of these strategies help you? Hopefully, you feel empowered to find more inspiration to write!