Want to stay creative even when you’re not writing?
Read on, friend!

WRITE DOWN ALL OF YOUR IDEAS

It doesn’t matter how small the idea is, just write it down! Chuck all of those scraps of paper in a desk drawer—or put them in their own file on your phone or computer. You never know what might come from those ideas! Let them percolate—or even forget them altogether! Just make sure you go back and look at those ideas now and then.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck on your current work-in-progress or you’re just feeling uninspired. Whatever the circumstances, be open to those ideas—and the ideas that those snippets of ideas can spark!

I think I heard somewhere that Anne of Green Gables sat on a shelf for years before it was developed into the series we know and love today. Or maybe just before it was published…? **shrugs** Either way! Keep. Those. Ideas.
Even if they’re small, or you rethink them and think that they’re bad.

It’s totally okay to hoard ideas!

TAKE A HOT SHOWER

Or a bath!
Guys, I’ve gotten soooo many of my ideas when I’m taking a bath, it’s not even funny! Like, I’m trying to relax, but nooooo, my muse doesn’t seem to understand that concept.
I keep an electronic device within reach for those times, too, just in case I have to jot something down. (I really should just gift myself some AquaNotes.)
So if I'm electrocuted one day...that's probably

There’s some interesting psychology about why we get some of our best ideas in the shower! Read more about it! (Here, here, and here!)

CHAT WITH OTHER WRITERS

I see all of you cringing introverts back there!
I was 100% one of you until…January or so? I remember finding someone (in addition to another writer friend I’ve had for years!) with whom I could talk writing super easily!
Like…she gets me, guys!
It was the best feeling in the world! And I used to be super freaked to talk to anyone about my WIP, afraid of judgment and weird looks…but that’s not the case anymore! And...honestly, I deserve a few of those weird looks.
But it's so nice to be understood!

Maybe talking about your writing still scares you. That’s okay! But I’d definitely encourage you to try and connect to just one other writer. Toss ideas back and forth. Fangirl over each other’s writing.
It’s so important and special and fun! (I’ll be that writer friend!) Making writing a little less lonely is so good for us!

JOURNAL

This is a good idea for a few reasons!
First of all, journaling gets you in the habit of writing daily.
It’s good for your emotional and mental health, too!
You might look back at what you wrote and find some inspiration there. Even if you’d never look back at what you wrote, it’s important to reflect on the things that stood out to you in the course of a day. To define emotions and the feelings that different people, places, and experiences bring up.

It’s a good way to practice descriptions, too!

FREEWRITE

Those little ideas you’ve found and stuffed in a desk drawer? Freewrite about them!

Set a timer and just write about that thing until the timer is done!
Maybe you don’t come up with anything worth keeping…but I think you just might!

Freewriting is also helpful if you’re battling some writer’s block! It might help you define the problem, or find a few solutions for it!
(Chatting with other writer friends is good for this, too!)

And if nothing else, you’re writing. You’ve set aside the time to focus on that one thing. And sometimes that’s the biggest struggle.

READ

This should go without saying, yet it’s so important that I’d gladly shout it into a megaphone from the tallest rooftop.

READ!!!!

If you want to write, you HAVE TO read.

Read A LOT!

Read good books, bad books, meh books…read things as a reader, and as a writer.
Learn what you’d like your writing style to be like. If you could be compared to another writer, which one would it be?
Learn what should never be done.
Learn how to craft words and beautiful sentences; moving scenes and beloved characters.

Just read!

PLAY VIDEO GAMES

HECK YES I JUST GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES!!!

I would add that I’d be picky about the games that qualify for this rule.
Role-playing games, specifically, are where it’s at!
I’m partial to Morrowind and Fallout 3, myself. And my current obsession is Final Fantasy XV. (I'm so obsessed, guys. **STRUGGLES TO HOLD BACK FANGIRLING**)
Anyway! There are beautiful worlds to be explored, fun (and/or heartbreaking!) stories; immersive atmospheres (those soundtracks!!), unique creatures and characters….
Video games are a fun way to find inspiration, and they don’t usually feel like work!

I know I always walk away from gaming feeling inspired.

EAT A GOOD SNACK

I’m a firm believer in food as motivation. Haha!
But, for real, your body and mind need fuel even if you’re just sitting there at your computer writing. (Which you shouldn’t be! Get up and move every now and then!) Maybe save the cookies for rewards and find a healthier snack option for when you’re writing. (Trail mix is basically my favorite writing snack!) Portion it out, too, so you don’t just realize that you ate an entire bag in one sitting.

Drink water and tea and coffee, too! :D

Does this one really need a reason other than food?

Yeah, I didn’t think so either.