Why you might want to plan an Inspiration Day
Our brains love novelty! A new experience brings opportunities for new ideas, new thoughts, and new opportunities. Even if you do not like something, you can learn more about yourself, uncover hidden strengths, weaknesses or talents, or be inspired to learn fresh new ways of thinking whenever you step outside the box and try something new.
Great writing relies on deep understanding - giving you the understanding and experience to generate great descriptions or logical processes that bring the reader along with you, whether speaking from memory, experience or your imagination.
If you want to fish, sometimes you have to stock the pond. I’m unsure who said some version of that, but I will credit Julia Cameron of the Artist’s Way. She inspired the idea of the Artist Dates, so I’ve modified the concept to better suit my needs. She talks about overfishing your creative pond, and I can understand this analogy. Sometimes, I feel like my mind is a mud pit of stagnant water with nothing but sludge to dredge to the surface - generally when I’ve been working too hard at work and not working enough on writing - and am depleted. Then I need to get outside, I need to look at new things, I need to move and watch the trees dance.
Not sure where to start? Let's generate some ideas, one genre at a time:
Historial romance
- Explore a museums
- Have a picnic in a park
- Wander local botanical gardens.
- Do a garden tour
- Visit an art gallery
- Take a trip to the spa
Crime
- Listen to true crime podcast
- Interview a police officer
- Tour a prison or jail
- Sit in court for a day.
Horror
- Visit a graveyard, (carefully) explore abandoned buildings, visit old churches - especially ones with crypts and gargoyles, attend a haunted house, or take a ghost tour if one is available.
- Tour catacombs or sewers at night (yes, this is a thing in many parts of the world)
- Go to an amusement park at night.
Fantasy
- Grab a drink at an old pub and tavern
- Explore old-growth woods and nature preserves
- Go caving or spelunking
- Get out in nature.
- Attend a festival or carnival.
- Explore crystal and metaphysical shops
- Get a palm reading, or have your tea leaves read
Action/Adventure
- Travel to far-flung lands - seek deserts and jungles, ice and sweltering heat
- Visit local sites of interest - tombs, pyramids, stone circles, waterfalls
- Go hiking, cycling, white water rafting, skydiving, caving, repelling, mountain climbing or kayaking
- Take a martial arts class
- Go to a martial arts demonstration or competition
- Make a bet at a casino
- Go to a firing range and shoot guns, or throw axes, or fire arrows
- Play laser tag or paintball
- Do an escape room
Hospital drama
- Visit a hospital or care home.
- Consider volunteering in something healthcare-related
- Take a thank you gift to the staff for all their service.
- Interview a surgeon or specialist
Spy novel
- Have a drink at the fanciest hotel in town.
- Grab a snack at the Yaut or Golf club
- Get dressed up, get out of town, sit at the bar and try and spot your "contact".
- Ride a ferry or public transport and imagine trying to lose someone.
- Carry around a briefcase wearing sunglasses and a long coat.
Comedy
- Go to the park and watch kids play.
- Find a comedy show.
- People watch on a street corner.
- Sit at a cafe and make up the lives of the people around you.
What did I miss? Tag me in your writer adventures!
With love
With Love,
Check out her books:
Snow White and the Wicked Queen: Chapter 1
Snow White and the Vicious Curse: Chapter 2
Snow White and the Seven Thieves: Chapter 3
Snow White and the Poisoned Apple: The Final Chapter
Prefer to read the whole story at once? Grab your copy of Snow: The Complete Erotic Series now! All five books are available now as ebooks and paperbacks. Coming soon in Large Print format!
2nd edition coming 2025!
