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Be Good Be Real Be Crazy Author Chelsey Philpot on Writing and Why Inspiration Is a Hot Mess
The thing about inspiration is the more you chase after it, the faster it runs away. You could have your desk set up perfectly next to a window overlooking a vista of snow-covered mountains dotted with deer. You could have your favorite pens lined up, a cup of coffee with just the right amount of sugar, and the best of intentions to write something spectacular.
But then you start writing and it’s terrible. Or, even worse, you try to write, but the words won’t come to you.
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I hate that feeling you get when you’re looking at a blank screen and it seems like you’re looking into a canyon you’re expected to jump over. With my second book, Be Good Be Real Be Crazy, I worried every time I sat down to write that that stupid, vast, bottomless canyon would appear.
Don’t worry. This story has a happy ending. I swear.
When my writer’s block was really driving me crazy, I’d go for walks, read, drive aimlessly, take photos, make ugly crafts that will never see the light of day. I collected articles that interested me. I explored places I thought were strange, but cool. I came up with ideas that were all over the place, like a bunch of fireworks shooting out in every direction.
As I wrote, some of these ideas started to click together. More and more fell into place the deeper into my novel I got. When I finally had a Eureka moment—when all the things I wanted to write about (a road trip, love, magic, heartbreak, etc.) fell into place—I couldn’t type quickly enough.
I’m not saying writing was effortless after this moment of inspiration (in fact, it was still really freaking hard), but knowing where my story was going gave me confidence that I could finish.
Now BGBRBC is out in the world and I’ve been thinking about Book Number Three. A few ideas coalesced when I was stuck in traffic the other day. I think I have something here. But I know I can’t be certain until I start writing. In case you’re struggling to corral your own ideas into a book right now, possibly as part of National Novel Writing Month, here are five tips for beating an inspiration funk:
Be kind to yourself. Beating yourself up for not writing 1,667 words a day or for not being sure where your story is going isn’t helpful. Even the most awesome of writers hit tough patches. Know that you’re in good company.
Don’t stop writing. Even if you think that what you’re flinging up on the screen is terrible, keep going through the motions. Some of us process best through writing and you don’t want your skills to atrophy while you wait for inspiration.
Be open to new experiences. When you’re not writing, travel, explore, move. Try doing something that scares you. Say yes to an invitation instead of no. Psychological studies have found that people who are more open to new experiences are also more likely to be inspired.
Be an observer. Pay attention to the world around you. Read the newspaper. Watch the news. Really listen when someone is talking to you. You never know where your next idea will come from.
Read. Read. Read. The books we admire are the ones that remind us why we ourselves want to write.