Broken Pencils are Pointless.

Ideas, ideas, and more ideas. That’s what we need to be able to write what we want when we want. But what happens when the well dries up? How are we supposed to write when we don’t know where to draw our ideas?

We’re talking about the powerful muse. What is a muse, how do we tap into that without having to search too hard for those ideas? I want to help you draw from the well-springs of your life to find something worth writing about.

I recently made my return to the blogging world after taking several months of a break. Mainly, I was tired and had no clue what to write about. Seems like a terrible excuse, but you’re probably one of those writers who only write when you feel you have something worth sharing.

I tried for months to write something worthwhile. Because I didn’t engage the muse, I failed. Because I didn’t schedule the time to write something, even if that something went nowhere, I failed.

It’s easy to let life get in the way of productive writing. We’re busy people. We have lives, families, children, and obligations. But taking the time to search for something to say is easier than you might think and I have 7 ways to help you engage the almighty muse.

1. Go for a walk.

Have you ever sat long enough in your home, only to realize you feel stuffy and all that creative energy you had earlier is zapped? Sitting for too long, without taking the time for a break will plummet your energy levels dangerously low. This is why it’s so important to take regular breaks.

Focus on something else while you walk and let your mind relax. Get out of the house. Clear the head and you’ll discover that once you return home, your energy levels are back. You may even return with a new idea to write about.

2. Search through your idea archive.

If you don’t already, I encourage you to put together a list of ideas. I have several ideas in folders sitting on my desk and in Evernote. The very reason I have these lists is so that when I need something to write about, I comb through them, looking for something worth diving into as a writer.

Ideas are the spark of a writer’s life. Without them, we won’t be able to create a positive environment for our readers. And you’ll be bored as a writer. When you have an idea that’s you can’t focus on at the moment, write it down and file it away for that rainy day. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover when you visit that folder.

3. Find inspiration from Facebook.

I know, I know, Facebook is the evil time sucker. I would agree and I get lost in the caverns of social media far too often. What’s funny, I’ll check it within 30 minutes from the last check and nothing’s changed.

But when inspiration is needed for a writing project, Facebook is a great place to discover ideas to write about. In fact, I was struggling with what to write about for this post and then I saw a pun that said; “Broken pencils are pointless.”

That gave me the idea to write about finding ideas. When we snap the lead on a pencil, we can’t write. But when we lack ideas to write about, we’re just as pointless in our craft as the pencil is at writing.

4. Look at your local newspaper for clues.

Let me say this, I love my local newspaper. A couple years ago, I wrote an op-ed piece for my local paper and the editor called me the same day and said he was running the op-ed. He liked it that much.

If you’re struggling to write, find a time to sit down and read your local paper. I just may spark something you can write about. That’s how I ended up writing that op-ed for the paper. I disagreed with what a reporter wrote the week before, so I write my rebuttal. They liked it and printed it.

You just never know what gems lie in wait within the folds of that paper.

5. Read daily.

I’ve said this numerous times, reading will make you a better leader and writer. If you’re writing and are not a reader, you should give up writing. In fact, writers should read twice as much as they write. If you’re writing a book every year, you should read at least two.

In other words, find inspiration in reading. I have a Kindle that I take pretty much everywhere. I find a few minutes to read. This year I have already read around 10 books. That’s roughly 2 books a month at this point. Because of that, I’ve found that my writing is better, stronger and I have more ideas than I know what to write about.

That’s a good problem.

6. Listen to quality podcasts.

On top of reading, I listen to a plethora of podcasts. They all vary in topic and theme. Some are TV show based, some are writing based, and some are leadership/entrepreneurial based.

Because of listening to numerous podcasts on varying topics, I have ideas I can use to funnel my writing through. Listening to shows will stretch your mind to discovering new ideas and give you tools to take to your next writing project.

7. Take time to write about the ant crawling on the floor.

When all else fails and you still cannot find the muse to speak to your inner writing self, look around you. If you see an ant crawling on the floor, start writing about him. What’s his story? Where is he going? What’s his name?

Writing about what’s happening around you will force you to look deeper at a subject and discover something deep inside that you can tap for your next writing project.

Finding a muse is difficult, but if you take my list of 7 ideas, you will be able to beat the dry seasons. This is something I knew, but I became lazy and didn’t follow my own advice. So, take this from a man who failed in his own way of finding ideas.

Don’t be like me. Take my advice and you’ll discover that you can write anything, you just have to open your eyes and look at what the world is giving you.

[reminder]Where do you get ideas from when your well runs dry? Anyting you’d add to this list?[/reminder]

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