Using Experiences for Inspiration

I find that many of my ideas come out of real life. Not all my ideas do – I do dream some amazing things and inspiration often hits me at inopportune times (like when I’m driving or in the middle of a Church service). Most, however, do start with my real-life experiences.

“I take random inspiration from everywhere.”

Edward Enninful

I was at coffee the other day, by myself, just relaxing and enjoying the sun. I just so happened to overhear an argument next to me – a couple were getting very heated. It was over something small, but the cogs in my head started turning and I wrote down their entire argument. A little creepy, I know, but I used their argument in my novel to fuel an argument between my main characters.

I often get inspired by the people around me. I enjoy people-watching to get new ideas and write different conversations. It’s a useful tactic for me and helps me to really understand common problems and how normal people talk to one another.

“Inspiration comes from everywhere: books, art, people on the street. It is an interior process for me.”

Colleen Atwood

Inspiration really does come from everywhere and I can’t think of a situation where I haven’t found inspiration. I enjoy immersing myself in new experiences and leaving the house to people-watch and see what people around me do.

Conversations are amazing to listen in on and I like observing what kind of mannerisms people have and how different people talk and interact with each other. You find out different kinds of quirks people have and what mannerisms you can give your characters.

I enjoy making the most of all of my experiences and jotting down anything that could be useful in my writing.

“My inspiration comes from my real-life experiences.”

Lilly Singh

Real-life experiences are critical for inspiration. It can be simple, like listening to people at a coffee shop, or complex like travelling overseas. You can’t hope to write successfully by locking yourself inside the house and never experiencing anything.

I find travelling very important in the world of writing. You learn about different cultures and get to see scenery you usually don’t see.

Travelling gives you amazing experiences that enrichen your own life and will also improve writing ability and relevance. You can write accurately about a seaside town when you’ve been to one, describe Paris beautiful when you’ve seen it in person and truly capture the Northern Lights beauty when you’ve witnessed it.

Nature inspires alone – seeing new places and how beautiful the world is. I love seeing nature and the beauty in every small thing – such as the colour of the water or the markings on a flower.

“I’m very inspired by nature – you could say Mother Nature. I look at things around me and get all kinds of inspiration daily.”

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart really nailed it on the head – I get inspired just from looking around my surroundings every day. Nature is gorgeous – our environment is awe-inspiring and I can look around any day and gather ideas.

This is one of the reasons I love travelling – I see new places and I get to really appreciate the environment in other countries. The architecture in Italy, the mountains in Switzerland and the oceans in Thailand. I wouldn’t see the beauty of these things just by photos – seeing them in person changes the ballgame completely.

Our world is a beautiful place and inspiration is around every corner. Finding beautiful places and attaching a story to it is a fun way to stretch my mind and imagination and helps me to write better in my novels.

I definitely encourage writers to travel and experience the world – you appreciate other cultures so much more when you see everything in person. Not only this, but you also find new appreciation for the environment at home. Your home country never looks so beautiful than when you’ve been away from it for a while.