Finding inspiration to write

Although this period is quite tough and draining, I have found that lockdown during the covid19 pandemic has given me the opportunity to discover my passion for writing. I have always known that I’ve loved writing, but since GCSEs were cancelled, I have had a lot of time to explore this part of me. Who would’ve thought that this year, instead of revising for 20+ exams, I would’ve taken a course in screenwriting and began writing a book? If you’re interested in writing but you are unsure of where to start, I’d like to share my experience and hopefully inspire you!

First of all, on a website called FutureLearn, there are many different FREE courses you can do. I have recently completed an introduction to screenwriting which was 2 weeks long and I’m now on week 3 out of 8 of a fiction course. Both courses have taught me SO much these past few weeks and they’re suitable for beginners and experienced writers alike. One thing I found especially useful in my screenwriting course was the various links to different websites to develop my skills and a list of scripts that I can read. There was even a video on how to actually write a script which was super interesting! Even if I don’t want to take up screenwriting in the future, I have learnt a lot about creating characters, dialogue and the structure of stories. 

If you don’t want to complete the courses or simply don’t have time, here are a few simple tips to help you get started with writing that I’ve learnt:

1. Brainstorming! Maybe you have the name of a protagonist or a place for the setting. Whatever it is, write this word/ group of words in the middle of a page and just blurt out everything that can be linked to them. Think about fears, the conflict between needs and desires, quirks, backstories and personality traits.
   
2. Think about something you’re passionate about- whether that’s psychology, sports, music or greek mythology. It is proven that you will write something much more amazing if you have a passion for it than if you’re writing about something just because you think people would read it. You could incorporate this passion in different ways- maybe it could be the protagonist’s hobby or something they have a conflict with. 
   
3. Conflict is essential when writing a story. Conflict with other characters can lead to inner conflict or it could be a conflict with something in the outside world, for example trying to escape danger. 
   
4. Character arc. This is the development of your protagonist(s) as the story moves forwards. Will their change in personality be positive or negative by the end? Maybe they don’t change at all, or revert back to how they were in the past? Creating a character arc will help you to figure out a plot so I recommend writing this down first.
   
5. Have a notebook dedicated to writing down anything you see/ think of. You could honestly find a story idea just by observing people around you. I’ve found that this is crucial for me; when it’s late at night and I’m just minding my own business, an idea often creeps into my mind and I have the urge to write it down! If you prefer, you could always do this in the notes app on your phone. I do a mixture of both, depending on which is more accessible to me at that moment.
   

Finally, what often keeps people from writing a lot is fear that is holding them back. If you learn not to question yourself and just write without self-censorship then you’ll enjoy writing even more. Don’t be disheartened if you can’t find your writing style straight away. I don’t think I’ve found mine yet and that’s okay! If you find it fun, then why not? Especially during this period, if you have more free time, there is nothing to lose from it. Even if writing in your notebook isn’t something worth sharing, don’t worry, because this is something just for YOU and you’re writing with the door closed. You never have to share this with anyone, so pour your heart out.
 Good luck and happy writing!

Futurelearn.com - A great website for free writing courses (there are courses for other subjects too, so I strongly recommend checking it out!)
Jerichowriters.com- This website contains great articles for writing and it’s essential to avoid beginner’s mistakes.

I hope this article has inspired you in some way and I wish you all the best with your writing journey!
-Nicole

​