How to Find Inspiration for Fiction-Novel Writing in the Real World

Ah, to be Jane Austen in a romantic setting 24 hours a day with rolling hillsides, gallant gentlemen and beautiful ladies in long, flowing dresses surrounding your quaint country cottage. The entire world would be inspiration for a fiction novel. It's too bad that most authors today are trying to write the next "Pride and Prejudice" while their toddler is trying to stick his head in the toilet and their spouse is seated next to them cursing high gas prices and the bad economy. Sound a little too much like the day you just had? Getting inspired for a fiction novel in the real world isn't always easy, but somehow there actually are those who manage to do it every day. Below are just a few tips on how to get your "Jane" on while the world is trying to wreak havoc on your writing senses.

To first key to getting inspired for the next New York Times Best Seller is to stop trying to "make up" stories. If you're old enough to know how to put a pen to paper, you're old enough to have your own personal experiences to write about and emotions to draw from. Use stories you know about, things that have happened to you, people you've met, and places you've been to generate fiction novel ideas. Think about the time you stayed up all night with an old flame watching the sun rise. Think about the conversation you had with your spouse that lead to a downhill chain of events. Think about the last fight you had with a loved one before they passed away. While you don't necessarily have to write a novel based on a personal experience, conjuring up images of your own past creates the emotional surge needed get the creative juices flowing. You'll be able to pour out a depth and passion onto the pages from a perspective that will entrance the reader.

Next, get away from that busy (or monotonous) world of yours for a little while and go somewhere to think. This isn't where you have to necessarily come up with a fiction novel idea off the top of your head, but it is supposed to be a time of meditation and peace. Clear your mind every so often, de-clutter the unorganized bits and pieces of information there, and focus. Just think about what matters. Reflect a little. When you get back to writing, you'll have a clearer head with to work with.

Next, wait for the weather to inspire your next novel. A dark thunderstorm, an extraordinarily windy autumn day, a bitter blizzard...sometimes the weather has a way of inspiring writers to think outside the box. Whether it's because they are forced to stay inside and watch it, they love being outside in it, or it reminds them of how little they are in the grand scheme of things, one couldn't say. For many writers, however, waiting for a particular season of the year before working on their fiction novels is a common practice.

Finally, forget the notion that inspiration for your novel has to come while you are tucked away in your quiet office at home. If there were ever a place to stay away from while trying to find inspiration, the home office has to be at the top of the list. Go out and live life normally, and just be sure to bring a notepad along to jot ideas down on. Take notice of what's going on around you. Watch the eyes of children as they pass and see what they are silently trying to tell you. Take a closer look at that homeless man and try to envision how he came upon his path in life. Consider what took place in that quiet elderly woman's life over the past seventy years, and what she has seen and done. When you look at life a little more closely, clear your head, and have patience, the idea for your next fiction novel will come all on its own.