10 tips for getting inspired and writing better

You may be experiencing a period of poor creativity, or you might simply want to become a more creative and effective person. If you work at a newspaper, keep a blog or just want to improve your writing skills, this article is for you.

We will be providing you with a series of tips, techniques and suggestions that will help you to come up with more ideas and become a better writer.

1. Write daily: in the same way that you have a work or fitness routine, you should set aside time to sit down and write a page each day. Keep a diary, write a letter or a short story. No matter what it is, the important thing is that you stay consistent.
2. Automatic writing: grab a pencil and a paper, or if you prefer you can use a computer; the tools you choose don’t matter, just write whatever comes to mind. Write between 700 and 750 words, don’t worry if it lacks coherence, the idea is to exercise your brain and let the words flow.
3. Be inspired: create your own folder of photos or files that will motivate you when you don’t know what to They can be digital or physical files. Is there a particular song that energises you? A poem that gives you goose pimples? Print them, save them in your favourite links or add them to your inspiration folder.
4. Interact on social networks: ask your followers or friends to suggest some topics that you can write about. You can also ask them to give you a series of unrelated words which you can use as the basis for your own story; you’ll be surprised by how far your imagination can fly.
5. Get organised: take advantage of the internet, it’s your greatest resource. Seek out a task management tool that allows you to plan your work; there are loads which you can use to organise your ideas. You can also work on a document as a team and schedule the delivery dates using a calendar.
6. Listen to music: listen to relaxing music, but don’t distract yourself. Create a playlist of instrumental music and sounds from nature. You can also try listening to the sound of Tibetan bowls combined with water, it makes everything flow much more easily! Never listen to songs by your favourite artists because they will break your concentration and you won’t be able to follow your train of thought.
7. Be productive: organise your time. Divide your work day into set time periods and stay away from distractions. It is absolutely essential that you schedule your breaks, working long hours without rest won’t help your productivity. It’s better to take 10-minute breaks every 45 minutes, or a 30-45 minute break every 2 hours.
8. Avoid distractions: when writing, make sure to mute your cell phone, turn off the TV and go to a quiet place. In short, stay away from all forms of entertainment or ideas won’t come to you. There is nothing more frustrating than feeling mentally blocked and losing the thread of an idea due to distractions.
9. Take advantage of technology: nowadays, we all have a smartphone on which we can download all kinds of applications. Many of them help us in our day-to-day lives. Imagine that you are stuck waiting for someone or something, this is an excellent time to open the notebook on your phone and write about something in your environment and how you feel about it.
10. Use word generators: word generators force you to improvise and allow you to choose the first letter of the words being used. This is ideal for working on creativity and doing exercises with words that have the same letters. You can, for example, challenge yourself to write a page that includes 10 random words that start with the letter “d”.

Writing well is not a skill that everyone can develop, but with a lot of practice and commitment it can be one of the most important skills a human being can acquire.

Author: Edith Gómez, external collaborator, editor of Gananci.

Tags: blogging|Edith Gómez|inspiration