Tips on How to Get Inspired for Your Fiction Novel Every Day

Reaching that Deadline Despite Distractions

AC contributor
Even the most disciplined of fiction authors find themselves putting their work aside occasionally to allow inspiration to take affect. However, career novelists face a timeline with each chapter that puts the pressure to develop the story at the forefront of their minds. Readers expect new work regularly, and they expect each story to be more interesting and in-depth than the last. Rather than waiting for that light bulb moment to hit before you allow your story to progress, consider the following tips on how to get inspired for your fiction novel every day.

Tip #1: Don't be afraid to write a chapter out of sequence. You may not be able to write about your character's darkest moments when you are celebrating in your own life. Write the chapters that you feel emotionally ready to write each day. While it wouldn't be recommended to write out of chapter sequence on a daily basis, allow yourself to skip around a bit from time to time. Don't miss out on an emotional high or low that will add to the authenticity of your writing for the day.

Tip #2: Get out of the house. Fiction novelists often find themselves too consumed with their work to consider social obligations, but getting out and about daily can inspire your writing. Make a point of scheduling varying social activities, visiting new places, and attempting to speak to new people regularly for fresh ideas and material.

Tip #3: Spy. Ok, not really. But ponder what that reclusive neighbor does behind his closed door each night or where that lonely child you pass each day goes for solace. Watch closely the actions of those around you, and you may find a brand new story to tell your readers.

Tip #4: Call up an old friend. Make contact with someone from your past who has the capability to remind of things you may have forgotten about yourself and your own life. Conjure up a flood of memories that will get your emotional energy running throughout the writing of the next chapter.

Tip #5: Do something completely out of the ordinary. Visit a cemetery at midnight or ask an ex lover to accompany you to an upcoming event. Do something that will challenge your sense of complacency, that will jar you out of your comfort zone. Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to writing excellent fiction is generating inspiration from mundane daily life. Insert your own special and extravagant circumstances as often as possible. The excitement will challenge your normal writing process and cause you to consider new horizons with the creation of each page.

Tip #6: Portray your characters in public, and note the reactions. Whether in a new grocery store or an alternate post office, become your characters for a moment each day in an environment where you will not be recognized. You may get a better sense of how to further develop your story and those within it if you can see firsthand how the general public would react to each character.

Tip #7: Become your main character for fifteen minutes each day. Fiction novelists need to feel what their characters are feeling before they can take the appropriate steps toward progressing the story. For a moment or two each day before you actually begin writing, step outside of yourself and become your main character. Simply pick up where the story left off the day before, consider what feelings should come into play, and later begin writing with a new insight into the character's inner thoughts.

Finding daily inspiration for your fiction novel is a matter of deriving the fantastic from the ordinary. Take a closer look at what surrounds you, and imagine the possibilities.

Published by AC contributor

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