Often I find myself going to a specific blog because it has information I am seeking. Maybe it even brings inspiration and motivation; which brings me to the topic at hand: filling your creative well after its stock has been depleted.

Keep in mind I am not a master writer. I am relearning the craft after a long hiatus. As a kid, teenager and young adult I wrote daily. I craved writing. I had notebooks filled to the brim with short stories, love letters to boys that I liked, poetry and everything in between. All those words were accidentally left behind in a storage unit about 13 years ago and I think the writer inside me may have been left there as well. Fast forward 13 years and thankfully that writer has re-emerged. I have many days that are chock full of ideas and other days just completing a sentence can be a struggle. Those days we writers may think that we have caught a case of writers’ block and are imminently doomed; however, instead, we should think of it as our well of ideas has completely dried up and is in need of some TLC.

There are many ways to refill the well; however I am going to give you my top 3 or 4 go to’s when I am feeling a little depleted and slightly defeated.

1. Reading: Although obvious and simple enough some may say; however you may want to be mindful of what you decide to read when refilling your cache. Personally, I have found reading in my genre or reading a book about the craft of writing helps bring about the best in me and it also helps by refilling my creativity and get back to writing about Emma and her journey. Blog posts work as well and even a little peek into the Twitter World or Instagram can help spark a fire.
2. Walking: Pretty straightforward, but while walking, look around and take in your surroundings. Maybe go to a local park. You may find a creepy abandoned building that eventually may lead you to create your next scene. Maybe the little old lady sitting on the bench would be a perfect addition to your cast. Be sure to always have something to take notes on in hand at all times. You may lose the idea if you don’t write it or type it straight away
3. Writing: Ah-ha! You may be thinking, but I can’t write because I have an empty well. Not exactly true and when I say write, I mean to write a journal piece about what you did that day. Maybe you are stressed and need to get that out of your system just to make room for that next Emma adventure, or Alvin or whomever your main character’s name may be. I have also found that it can be helpful to take my main character on a journey that may not be related at all to my current work in progress. An alternate adventure if you will. Emma’s name can get changed to Alexa and she lives in the year 2050. All of a sudden you have your next story idea and maybe some new ideas for your current project.
4. Watching: People watching at the library, tv show watching, maybe a movie, v-log or even a how-to video. Pick your poison. Most of the books I have read on writing have said that watching tv shows and/or movies are a waste of time and I have to disagree. Watching anything on television is in my top 5 favorite hobbies. So many story ideas, plot twists, (Stranger Things) and scene endings to learn from and make sure you don’t repeat (Game of Thrones.) If you haven’t watched either show you really should. They are both masterfully crafted from the character arcs to world building. Truly amazing. So watch a little tv to fill up your empty tank and then get back to writing.

I hope you found this helpful. I am sure most of you veteran writers are well versed in the art of filling up your creative well, but I am sure there are some newbies out there who may just stumble upon this post and hopefully find some inspiration.

On a side note: Are there ways that you fill up that creative space in your brain? Let me know if there are any that I missed and I can add them to my list. Thank you for taking the time to read and hope you have a happy writing day!