How Do You Refill the Creative Well?

[Cagivagurl]

Creators, regardless of the genre, art, music, literature, design...
All are influenced by the world around them... I'm not talking about plagiarism, simply that we are influenced by events, objects, conversation, the actions of others. If you are open minded, and aware of our surroundings, then you have a constant supply of fresh ideas... And opportunity...
The ideas are there, it is simply recognising them...

The great writers are such people, they see, feel, or hear something that triggers thre imagination, and from that tiny spark comes a fabulous creation... The great ones, see inside the event and are able to pick it apart and build something novel, something that make others go "Wow!"
Just my thoughts.

 

[writerzblok92]

Some good advice in here. I know I need it, been stuck on chapter 4 for years

 

[Duil2]

After writing and not writing for bouts of many years during the last thirty years I've become to understand that it's not likely that you'd be writing constantly. When inspiration strikes I run with it to see where it'll lead. Sometimes it's a dead end and sometimes its a story I can finish.
There are times, however, when writing is not happening and so I offer to edit for other writers on Literotica and I become more active in this AH.
I don't worry about the non-writing times and enjoy and accept the writing times.
I do think the creativity well is constantly being replenished even if we're not aware of it.
Recently, I was trying to write a BDSM category story and it just wasn't happening and then I began to watch the UK Celebrity Traitors on TV and was inspired to mix the BDSM with vampires and wound up with an entry into the Halloween contest.

 

[ChuckWolf]

Recent inspirations for me have been the occasional 500 and 750 word challenges, one of which I expanded and submitted to a recent contest.

 

[FromManyOne]

Reading. Reading either fiction or history will almost always give me some kind of idea.

 

[ronde]

Regardless of what you like writing, the story will be about people or at least some creature with human characteristics. The way to get ideas about people is to put down your phone, get up from your desk and go where the people are. I guarantee that if you watch enough people you'll generate some ideas.

The other approach is to read more than you write. What you'll find is that published authors shamelessly repeat the same plots used for hundreds of years. Pick a plot, fit it so it fits your characters or fit your characters to the plot, and start writing.

 

[Callum_M]

Incredible answers, all of them! I just wanted to comment on the ones that resonated with me the most.

• Research into history (learned this from the Scent of Jasmine Tea historical fiction event)
• General world-building with no constraints
  • Inventing small details about characters and trying to explain them

Research is a thing for me. At least when I feel the story calls for it because I'm getting into a subject that heavily pertains to the plot or a character and I don't want to be saying things that simply aren't true. I have a historical fiction story that's been in my head for about a decade and it would require a ton of research and it's the biggest reason I haven't actually sat and put the sucker to paper.

I've watched/read several things that I know are completely fabricated and it pulls me out of what I'm seeing/reading. And world-building, yes! When I write sci-fi, I love creating the finer rules of what makes that universe tick. Both of these things ping my brain with new ideas.

I go for walks and let my mind wander. When it comes back it often brings little gifts that help me get past blocks. I also report on my daily progress in the Support Thread: it gives a dopamine boost and helps to maintain discipline.

I feel this! Many times a line gets in my head during a walk or a run and then I imagine the next line and the next and before I know it, a scene is fully formed. Sometimes it's for a current project and sometimes it's a random new thing that I keep tucked away.

The other thing is to read a lot. I draw inspiration from other people's stories. I'll see a germ of an idea in somebody else's story and think to myself that I'd like to try writing my own story based on that idea.

Reading is huge for me too. Sometimes being inspired by a premise or a setting, and other times it works like a photo negative. "Well they did it this way, but what if I do it that way?"

1. Studying herd behavior for my dissertation. What makes them tick. Good or bad. Then using this information to predict their next step.

While reading is my primary go-to when I'm struggling to put words on not-paper, I've found people-watching to be quite inspiring. I miss the malls of old, but a bench in a busy park works too. After a while, you start making up details to explain the behaviors, outfits, etc. Before you know it, they stop being random strangers and start representing new characters.

Putting these together because they resonate the same, and I couldn't agree more. Learning more about people, observing people, it's such a good source of inspiration. People-watching is a thing for me too and I agree about old malls. I'm often wrapped up in the "why" with stories and the why always comes down to the characters. Not just what I write, but what I read and watch. I want characters to move plots and not plots move characters. I have often changed where I want stories to go or end because I realized the characters I created wouldn't go in that direction.

Uh...not one person suggested having more sex?

Genuinely, I wonder if the opposite is better. Less sex = hornier = better ideas? Or at least more explicit. Maybe it depends on the person.

 

[OddLove]

To replenish smut creativity.

Abstinence.

With enough pent up frustration the sex will write itself, then all I have to do is type it.

To replenish non-smut creativity.

Hyper-nutting.

Without a drop of horniness, my focus is sharp and I can proof-read/edit/rearrange/trim/ the in-between stuff.

If I'm experience burn out.

Stop.

Eventually it will come back, and if it doesn't that's okay cause I'm not doing this for a living.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I’ve been poking around the forums after being an avid reader for years and I first want to say, you’re all wonderfully creative people. I have gotten lost in so many people’s stories and characters. It’s truly been a delight

Thank you from all of us - that's the nicest group feedback I think we've ever had

One thing I am curious about. It’s not anything I’m struggling with at the moment. I heard this asked in an interview once and the question has been with me since: what do you do to refill the creative well?

It’s not bottomless for anyone. Whether it’s something to recharge you after completing the latest project, something you do when you hit a wall, or things you do to avoid the wall. Anything really. What helps refill that creative drive for you?

I habe enough story ideas and concepts tuck way in my head to write for the rst of myl and more pop in to say hi and tease me all the time. Some I note in a spreadsheet, some id high level outlines,sometimes its an image sometimes I have a title in my head or a song and the story comes from that. Example - Icehouse and "Man of Colors" - Ia always wanted to do a story based on the song titles and write a story for every track. istemimg to people talking is another way - if you pay attention you get some great story ideas that way. History. Other authors. Pure imagination.

 

[IWroteThis]

I go for walks and let my mind wander.

The first draft of the story I currently have in final editing was mostly written while pushing the lawnmower around the yard. The sequel to that one, a response to the song White Liar, and a sex-based skill-stealing LitRPG all got their start behind the mower as well. I'm not sure the last one is going to work out, but the other two are still looking good.

It also works great for breaking through bottlenecks in existing stories. The challenge is to remember everything long enough to get inside and write it down.

I think it's the combination of white noise and nothing to look at that I haven't seen a million times already. There's nothing external that requires more than minimal attention, so the brain is free to focus on other things.

 

[Callum_M]

The first draft of the story I currently have in final editing was mostly written while pushing the lawnmower around the yard. The sequel to that one, a response to the song White Liar, and a sex-based skill-stealing LitRPG all got their start behind the mower as well. I'm not sure the last one is going to work out, but the other two are still looking good.

It also works great for breaking through bottlenecks in existing stories. The challenge is to remember everything long enough to get inside and write it down.

I think it's the combination of white noise and nothing to look at that I haven't seen a million times already. There's nothing external that requires more than minimal attention, so the brain is free to focus on other things.

Yes, this articulates it so well!

For me, it depends on what kind of inspiration I'm in need of. Sometimes I lack any and all ideas, and I need to refill by seeing other things. I was a visual artist for a long time and spent many days in museums, taking it all in, finding work that made me want to try new things. With writing, I love to read stories along similar tracks for what I would like to do. Maybe it's the setting or the themes, but something that then gives the spark to light the fire.

But then other times, the quiet is so needed and so welcomed to get my mind running. Doing the mundane tasks and then an idea strikes. I too have have crafted ideas while mowing the lawn, but I didn't even realize it until now. I am going to be thinking about "white noise and nothing to look at" for a while.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Just at random - here is an example - strayed across this on X jst now and it's one heck of an idea for a story .....better than any random idea generator could come up witj by far....

 

[crookedletter]

I pour alcohol into it.

 

[old_prof]

A lot of it for me is people watching, eavesdropping on other people at restaurants and the like. People will talk about amazing things, disclose private tidbits in a semi-public all the time. All sorts of juicy ideas. Sometimes it's just a look they have.

I have a revision (of The Vault) in pending that includes a new scene of the MC's sitting in a breakfast restaurant at 10:45 AM, seeing a woman in a skimpy cocktail dress come in, ask for a table for two and then tell the waitress she'll be alone after getting a text. That was based almost exactly on an incident that happened to me a few months ago. So many possible stories out of that one. (The MC's speculate about the possibilities, as did my wife and I.)

Life around you is full of possible tales if you watch.

 

[onehitwanda]

One thing I am curious about. It’s not anything I’m struggling with at the moment. I heard this asked in an interview once and the question has been with me since: what do you do to refill the creative well?

There's a sure-fire way to refill it - desperation and fear of imminent violence.

Some of us are afflicted by a Muse.

No. Not that one. The other one.

 

[TheLobster]

Just at random - here is an example - strayed across this on X jst now and it's one heck of an idea for a story .....better than any random idea generator could come up witj by far....


View attachment 2688635

I occasionally write some truly absurd porn stories, but I don’t think I’d be able to concoct anything using this, uhm, “logic”.

 

[Callum_M]

There's a sure-fire way to refill it - desperation and fear of imminent violence.

Some of us are afflicted by a Muse.

No. Not that one. The other one.

What...what don't I know about testicles and and ostrich hunting? Do I want to know?

Nevermind, I should get back to writing!

 

[pink_silk_glove]

It’s not bottomless for anyone.

It's bottomless for me. The question is, how do you keep it from overflowing?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

been stuck on chapter 4 for years

Jump ahead to chapter 5 or 6, or the end, and come back later.

 

[bi_cathy]

Italian music.

It took me 5 years to finish a 23K-word story, a few months to finish a 50k-word series, and two years to finish a 139K-word behemoth. I write when I want to write, if I want to write. The creativity is always there, the list of ideas is a mile long. The will to write is not always there. Or at least the will to write something good and interesting.

 

[SkyBubble]

The oldest trick in writing is go write something else for a while and then get back to what you're doing.

Write across genres. I had a poem come to me from book titles in my bookcase the other day. Completely unexpected. Sometimes, if you get out of the way and stop trying to refill, the well refills itself.

Also, I have a large number of ideas in my drafts box that are anywhere from a couple of words to almost ready. So I can go from this one to that one and make some degree of progress.

 

[onehitwanda]

Italian music.

It took me 5 years to finish a 23K-word story, a few months to finish a 50k-word series, and two years to finish a 139K-word behemoth. I write when I want to write, if I want to write. The creativity is always there, the list of ideas is a mile long. The will to write is not always there. Or at least the will to write something good and interesting.

Red wine works a treat too. Though these days, I've moved on to Armagnac.

It lasts longer

 

[bi_cathy]

Red wine works a treat too. Though these days, I've moved on to Armagnac.

It lasts longer

Classy choices. The last time I had Armagnac, a couple of months ago, it was dousing a Baba (not au Rhum in this case ) that ended up way more Armagnac than Baba. I had to be social, though, instead of writing fun words.

The closest thing I have now is a bottle of Noces Royales (cognac + poire williams) that is begging to be opened. If not that, there's also a good Angelus N°3 red and a Lagavulin 16 for proper verification and validation of your inspiration theory.

 

[onehitwanda]

Lagavulin 16

Christ. I'm brave, but not that brave.

 

[Writer61]

Classy choices. The last time I had Armagnac, a couple of months ago, it was dousing a Baba (not au Rhum in this case ) that ended up way more Armagnac than Baba. I had to be social, though, instead of writing fun words.

The closest thing I have now is a bottle of Noces Royales (cognac + poire williams) that is begging to be opened. If not that, there's also a good Angelus N°3 red and a Lagavulin 16 for proper verification and validation of your inspiration theory.

Very classy choices there @bi_cathy.

My current tipple of choice is Benriach 12 yo, a Speyside malt that has relatively limited distribution.