How to Be Inspired: Does Writing Actually Work That Way?

The silence felt like that first breeze off a sailboat when the wind finally picks up. And it was the clatter of a dish hitting the floor in front of a watching cafeteria full of diners. It was some of each and both.

This is how my writing retreat began.

I’ve never been on a writing retreat, hadn’t even considered it before. But several of my writer friends who, in my world, live online, have been on writer retreats. For multiple reasons, I could not attend an official one — so I created my own. What’s that saying? Necessity is the mother of invention?

In early June, before I could chicken out, I scheduled a stay at what I thought was just a regular Air B n B. (That’s how fast I booked it; I didn’t realize until after the confirmation came through that it was an apartment suite in the very last home that F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, shared together.)

After a few mishaps in late June, it was clear I would need to reschedule my trip for late July. So I did. And I went. And I wrote. But only after I examined the deafening sound of quiet.

My role as a mom, a freelance editor, and a homeschool mom doesn’t allow much room for quiet. And this was the thing that got me. Upon arriving, I was met by the caretaker of the property and one of the managers. They assured me that I could get a wonderful meat-and-three right around the corner (it was dinner time and they were right. Best meat-and-three I ever had. Don’t tell Atlanta’s Eats or Matthew’s Cafeteria in Tucker, Georgia, or Puckett’s in Nashville. I like all of you, yes, but this place sandwiched between the Garden District and the Old Cloverdale section of Montgomery won me with its incredible Salisbury steak and sides.)

I can’t even show you a picture of the meal because it was THAT good. I thought about taking photos of it after I inhaled it. (Sorry, but… not really.)

Now, if this amazing welcome and the delicious food wasn’t enough to inspire me, you’ve got to see the property.

And that’s just the front of the house. Next week, I’ll share photos of the room, and the following week I’ll share about the museum itself. (Yes, there is a museum on the main floor.)

The whole place is an homage to writing; it’s where Scott wrote “Tender is the Night” and it’s where Zelda wrote “Save Me the Waltz.” Ironically, these two lived under that roof for less than two years.

In less than two years, these two married people wrote two novels. I’m sorry, but I had trouble writing two chapters while I was there. But I promise you: It’s not the house’s fault or the property’s fault.

What happened is this; I began reading my five chapters-about-to-be-six, and then I started editing. And I edited, and I edited, and I rewrote character descriptions and added more details. I made notes about things to change and consider why I’d chosen them in the first place.

This is the problem with being an editor. It’s hard to edit your own work, and then again, it’s hard not to.

So… was I inspired?

Absolutely!

Did I get much writing completed?

That depends on your definition of “writing.” I personally would call editing and planning part of the writing process, so yes, I did some. I certainly didn’t flesh out any additional chapters though.

But I promised you a piece about how to be inspired, and this — what I’ve written so far — isn’t really what the title hints at, is it?

However, assuming that writing happens when you’re inspired (which, by the way, I do believe it does), let’s tackle the age-old question: How does one become inspired? Here are a few ideas.

1. Take a trip. Even if it’s an overnight one, do it. Just the short change in scenery will give you more fodder for your characters, ideas for the setting, and language for the descriptions.
2. Take a walk. For the budget-challenged or parents of young children or folks who work day jobs without any vacation time left, a walk can serve a similar purpose to a trip. If possible, try to walk somewhere completely new or at least somewhere that’s different than your usual route. It does not have to be a long walk, but give it a minimum of 20 minutes. That’s long enough to shut your brain off and start to actually pay attention to what you see.
3. Take a drive. You can probably see the theme here. Just getting out of your normal routine and away from your normal writing zone helps. But here is the difference: Instead of driving somewhere new, drive a route you know well. This way, you can drive a little bit on autopilot because you’re not so focused on where you are going. Once you start to forget about directions, you can pay attention to the types of trees along the route that you’ve never really seen before. You can wonder who owns that house on the corner that seems to be toppling over on itself. And that is enough to get at least one edgy character spinning.

These are my takeaways about inspiration.

Now, the next question is: Do we need to be inspired to write?

Actually, no. I am learning how to write when I am not inspired, when I don’t feel like it, and when it is the last thing on my mental to-do list.

Writing comes as it goes, and writing goes as it comes.

Stay tuned for next week’s how-to:

How to write when you don’t feel like it.