I was reading a brilliant piece of literary advice from a brilliant writer. She preferred persistence to inspiration.
Persistence is important. Persistence can summon inspiration.
Persist and write. Persist in pursuing that story idea you wish to transform into an actual story by putting it into words. Play with the words. Explore when you form sentences, searching for the ones in your story.
Persistence is the spell which I use to drawn inspiration into my fingers. It’s the daily practice which transforms into inspiration again and again.
Just waiting for inspiration often leaves me feeling like a wall flower, sitting waiting for someone to ask me to dance. Inspiration doesn’t find me all that interesting when I wait around for it. I’m a lot more interesting when I’m doing something interesting, even if I’m making a complete fool of myself.
Don’t wait for inspiration. Charm it. Woo it. At least give it a giggle with your antics. Be the persistent suitor who keeps practicing, with or without inspiration.
I’ve found that if I’m persistent, if I keep practing, inspiration comes to me. My words start to flow, smoother and faster, even if I began with no idea how to coax them forth.
Just be persistent and get into the practice of putting the words down. You may have no idea what to begin with.
I sometimes start with “I really want to write <>, but I’m confused on how to get there. Maybe I could try <>? I let my imagination go, filling in the <>.
Practice can be an opportunity to play. Practice can be fun. Inspiration is more likely to come if I’m having fun. Sometimes I find it sneaking into my words when I’m not aware of it. What comes out of practice can be a wonder and a surprise, even to me.
For me, wonder and surprise are elements which make inspiration exciting. Nothing is more surprising than finding wonder and surprise in what I do regularly.
I just have to be persistent and keep practicing, even when it’s hard, getting the words out.