First of all, I’m sorry you are finally free to write whatever and then experience this! It can be so frustrating! Especially when you are a planner who usually can plan themselves out of encountering blocks.
The times I’ve been weirdly stuck, I find it really helpful to go on a reading binge. This is easier with picture books — I’ll read like 20 picture books each day for a few days and then by the end of the process, I get an idea that has nothing to do with any of the books I read. It’s like my brain just needed some book snacks to get going.
But also I’m curious if this is a moment where your creativity is pushing you to try a different process. Like what if, and even suggesting this terrifies planner me, your creativity is pushing you to do a bit of discovery writing? Maybe the theme you discover next hasn’t been uncovered yet, because it requires a bit of excavating through writing explorations? Or writing without knowing the ending? This may be totally off though so ignore if it doesn’t feel right!
Either way, can’t wait for your aha moment because it will happen!
We are such kindred spirits in that whenever I'm in a slump I always jump right into a book! In all honesty, it never even crossed my mind to do discovery writing. This is my very Virgo-side taking over! But as soon as I read that I was like, "Um, yeah. What if I just write...for fun?! No plan!" It scares the crap out of me, but I've gotta do it. I've had a couple tentative ideas jump out at me, and now I'm just going to dive in and see what happens. Thank you!
Haha — it sucks when the stuff that usually works doesn’t work! But that sounds very exciting and like those ideas and the discovery process will maybe take you beyond where your plans would have taken you 😊
I don’t have any advice for finding ideas that you haven’t heard before. But I feel like the heart of a young adult JJ book is often the stories we (your adult readers) needed when we were teens. So maybe an adult JJ book is the same - a story that speaks to where we are now in life with the same camp, joy, and hopefulness.
Keri, this comment really means a lot to me, and is framing this time of looking for inspiration in a way I hadn't thought of before! I definitely should be looking at what I want to say about adulthood now, and not try to force myself to write in a way someone else would. Thank you for this!
Hey Jason! I was in this same exact spot a few months ago. I gave up on the YA book I was working on last fall (for the first time ever) and felt completely uninspired to start a new one. But I did have this adult book idea wiggling around in my brain. I finally decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did. It's refreshing to try something new! I've since had to hit pause on that book since I signed with a new agent who wants to work with me on a different book, but I'm excited to get back to it. Take a break, if needed, but don't be afraid to try something completely new!
You're speaking to my heart that keeps fantasizing of writing something totally new...I just have to find what that will be! But I'll get there if it's the last thing I do! And congrats on signing with your new agent!
It could be that your creative spirit needs a little rest. And if you tend to that rest it will spark when it’s ready. Pressure (deadlines, public opinion, career goals, etc) tends to smother creativity, rather than nurture it.
But it also sounds a little bit like you might have some fear of writing the story that is in your heart. What if you let yourself be free? Just open to explore the story that’s most exciting to you? Market and expectations put aside, just free to tell yourself the story that makes you happy.
That could give yourself the room to let your inspiration breathe life back into your creative space.
I think you're so right, Craig, that the answer could just very well be time. It drives my Virgo heart wild to have to admit that, but I think I just have to come to terms with it!
Hi Jason - sorry to hear you've had a bit of an inspiration block at the moment. Something that works for me as an ongoing thing is to keep an inspo book... I put down anything in there I'm gravitated towards. Shows I love, concepts, themes, a cool idea for a character, an interesting setting I love the sound of ... I watch out for anything that leaves me sparky and write it down to peruse for inspiration whenever I need it! I think it's always when you stop looking for an idea too that it suddenly pops into your brain. Also, I personally would love to read a spicy, adult, larger than life story so I will be waiting patiently for you to write it! 😁
I love the idea of a “things I love” journal that doesn’t have the pressure of a specific story to it! I’m definitely going to do this! And I’m so glad you’re into that book vibe!!
I’m so in the same boat as you as refilling creatively with tv shows and reading too. I’m not getting that same oomph this year for some reason though! I think it’ll just come down to waiting the slump out!
I've been getting so much inspiration from tumblr lately! Instagram reels have also been huge sources of inspiration. I don't have time to write all my ideas!!
Ohmigawd tumblr! I haven't been there in ages and need to do that right now. A blast from the past, and I'm already getting nostalgia vibes that could be just what I need for the *feel* of what I want to write next. Thank you!
First of all, I’m sorry you are finally free to write whatever and then experience this! It can be so frustrating! Especially when you are a planner who usually can plan themselves out of encountering blocks.
The times I’ve been weirdly stuck, I find it really helpful to go on a reading binge. This is easier with picture books — I’ll read like 20 picture books each day for a few days and then by the end of the process, I get an idea that has nothing to do with any of the books I read. It’s like my brain just needed some book snacks to get going.
But also I’m curious if this is a moment where your creativity is pushing you to try a different process. Like what if, and even suggesting this terrifies planner me, your creativity is pushing you to do a bit of discovery writing? Maybe the theme you discover next hasn’t been uncovered yet, because it requires a bit of excavating through writing explorations? Or writing without knowing the ending? This may be totally off though so ignore if it doesn’t feel right!
Either way, can’t wait for your aha moment because it will happen!
We are such kindred spirits in that whenever I'm in a slump I always jump right into a book! In all honesty, it never even crossed my mind to do discovery writing. This is my very Virgo-side taking over! But as soon as I read that I was like, "Um, yeah. What if I just write...for fun?! No plan!" It scares the crap out of me, but I've gotta do it. I've had a couple tentative ideas jump out at me, and now I'm just going to dive in and see what happens. Thank you!
Haha — it sucks when the stuff that usually works doesn’t work! But that sounds very exciting and like those ideas and the discovery process will maybe take you beyond where your plans would have taken you 😊
I don’t have any advice for finding ideas that you haven’t heard before. But I feel like the heart of a young adult JJ book is often the stories we (your adult readers) needed when we were teens. So maybe an adult JJ book is the same - a story that speaks to where we are now in life with the same camp, joy, and hopefulness.
Keri, this comment really means a lot to me, and is framing this time of looking for inspiration in a way I hadn't thought of before! I definitely should be looking at what I want to say about adulthood now, and not try to force myself to write in a way someone else would. Thank you for this!
Hey Jason! I was in this same exact spot a few months ago. I gave up on the YA book I was working on last fall (for the first time ever) and felt completely uninspired to start a new one. But I did have this adult book idea wiggling around in my brain. I finally decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did. It's refreshing to try something new! I've since had to hit pause on that book since I signed with a new agent who wants to work with me on a different book, but I'm excited to get back to it. Take a break, if needed, but don't be afraid to try something completely new!
You're speaking to my heart that keeps fantasizing of writing something totally new...I just have to find what that will be! But I'll get there if it's the last thing I do! And congrats on signing with your new agent!
Thank you and I know you'll find some inspiration soon!
It could be that your creative spirit needs a little rest. And if you tend to that rest it will spark when it’s ready. Pressure (deadlines, public opinion, career goals, etc) tends to smother creativity, rather than nurture it.
But it also sounds a little bit like you might have some fear of writing the story that is in your heart. What if you let yourself be free? Just open to explore the story that’s most exciting to you? Market and expectations put aside, just free to tell yourself the story that makes you happy.
That could give yourself the room to let your inspiration breathe life back into your creative space.
I think you're so right, Craig, that the answer could just very well be time. It drives my Virgo heart wild to have to admit that, but I think I just have to come to terms with it!
Hi Jason - sorry to hear you've had a bit of an inspiration block at the moment. Something that works for me as an ongoing thing is to keep an inspo book... I put down anything in there I'm gravitated towards. Shows I love, concepts, themes, a cool idea for a character, an interesting setting I love the sound of ... I watch out for anything that leaves me sparky and write it down to peruse for inspiration whenever I need it! I think it's always when you stop looking for an idea too that it suddenly pops into your brain. Also, I personally would love to read a spicy, adult, larger than life story so I will be waiting patiently for you to write it! 😁
I love the idea of a “things I love” journal that doesn’t have the pressure of a specific story to it! I’m definitely going to do this! And I’m so glad you’re into that book vibe!!
I like to refill my well with tv shows. And once I have a spark of a premise, I like rereading Story Genius to make it juicy.
Your brain is cooking up something in the background! 🧠
I’m so in the same boat as you as refilling creatively with tv shows and reading too. I’m not getting that same oomph this year for some reason though! I think it’ll just come down to waiting the slump out!
Hi!
I've been getting so much inspiration from tumblr lately! Instagram reels have also been huge sources of inspiration. I don't have time to write all my ideas!!
Ohmigawd tumblr! I haven't been there in ages and need to do that right now. A blast from the past, and I'm already getting nostalgia vibes that could be just what I need for the *feel* of what I want to write next. Thank you!
I hope it works out!!
You can follow me, if you like. I'm edhelwen1