Finding Writing Inspiration in Small Things
S. M. de Frey
7 minutes
Writing inspiration is, of course, the foundation of any good book or article. But it’s not always that simple, is it? There’s a big difference between wanting to write something, finding the right inspiration to accomplish this desire, and finally finishing your piece. Luckily, while inspiration may sometimes seem just out of reach, there are many ways to give your thoughts that extra push.
It was winter 2020—July in South Africa. I had been playing around with a concept for a fantasy novel in school, but my idea had expanded into a series of eight books. It was daunting.
I knew myself well enough to know that I would want to work on that series until all eight books were complete. I’m a perfectionist like that. I also knew that it would take years. So, I needed something else to start with—a stand-alone novel I could use to practise my writing and test the waters of publishing.
But what could I write about?
The inspiration hit me from somewhere I never expected. I was wandering around my apartment, my thoughts wandering more than my feet, when an image crossed my mind. A brooch.
It was a simple, but extravagant brooch, shaped like a twig with emerald leaves set in gold. I had no idea what I was going to do with this small thing, but I knew I wanted to use it.
Jewellery, especially family heirlooms, has always fascinated me. I’m intrigued by the story each piece may hold—and brooches are without a doubt one of the most common family heirlooms that tend to have stories connected with them. I decided to combine these interests and find a way to use them as a key for my novel.
The idea became quite literal.
In the end, the plot grew into something quite extensive. My main characters were travelling across England in an effort to learn more about their family’s past. But the brooch remained at the centre of it all. It was the driving force that propelled the story forward—the literal key that opened locks to family secrets and treasures.
No matter how small your source of inspiration may be, it has the potential to become something much more.
Teasing Inspiration
Inspiration doesn’t have to come from some big flash-flood moment where ideas just keep pouring in. It’s nice when that happens, of course, but it’s rare.
More often, you’ll find yourself sitting with something small, teasing you like a butterfly flittering just out of reach. But you don’t have to chase an idea and box it for it to evolve. Rather, it needs freedom to fly. You may be surprised by where it leads you.
It can be overwhelming to let your idea run wild. You may want to start grasping at every idea and force it all together in the hope that something will make sense but be careful. Odds are, it won’t.
While combining ideas is often beneficial, it may take just the right combination of small things to come up with something bigger and more exciting than you could have hoped for.
Now, ‘small things’ is a pretty vague concept, I know. But that’s the best part of this source of inspiration; it can come from absolutely anywhere. Anything that fascinates or intrigues you, that gives you that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling, that is your source of inspiration.
Here are some small things I find inspiring:
- the moon and stars
- sunsets
- rivers
- mountains
- candles
- cobwebs (although not so much the spiders…)
- statues
- dancing
For each person, this list will look different. I happen to like the delicate, sparkly things in life, but I’m far from a romance novelist. The darker edge of things also draws me in, allowing for a combination of ideas that can be wide-ranging, challenging, and unique.
That’s the beauty of writing. Since each person is entirely different from the next, we’ll all interpret the same things in different ways. Someone else might have used a brooch as the base for a war novel where the main character has to deal with the trauma of losing a loved one of which the brooch is all that’s left of them. Another person could have made it the centre of a horror in which it’s haunted and possesses whoever owns it.
Whichever way you interpret your small things, remember that writing is more than just finding a source of inspiration. Inspiration is just the spark; research and time are what make a novel.
Doing the Research
The common denominator between all these inspiring things is effort. Anyone can look at something and think it’s nice, but it’s the work authors are willing to put into an idea that really makes it fly.
Getting started on From the Ashes took some time. As a writer who enjoys structure and a clear outline, I spent a lot of time researching before I began writing. For each of my novels, I create a Word document under which I plot my characters, setting, and layout along with room for timelines, scene ideas, and additional research about period or genre.
Of course, this may not be your style, and that’s fine. Some people find it easier to write without an extensive outline and hard research, especially within genres and periods they know well. But I’m willing to bet that any novel will require a bit of research at one point or another.
There is, however, a major advantage to researching fiction writing: it doesn’t necessarily mean hours of reading through online articles. I’ve found a great way to research settings, characters, and genres is by reading other novels and watching movies or series.
Reading existing works within your genre can be extremely inspiring, especially if the author is excellent. I love Sarah J. Maas’s writing style in the ‘Throne of Glass’ and ‘Court of Thorns and Roses’ series. Her books, along with those of J. R. R. Tolkien, are great examples of world-building for fantasy books and their rich descriptions never fail to encourage me to work on my own novels.
Find whatever genre you want to write in and read some of its best-selling books. It’s a fun and engaging way to find inspiration and research writing styles that you can make your own.
The same applies to movies and series.
While researching character, setting, and plot for my next novel, I enjoy watching Vikings: Valhalla. I have very little knowledge of the Viking era in Norway, and online research doesn’t quite capture the culture and habits of the time. Watching series and movies that are set in that era gives me a better idea of how I can shape my own characters and places.
That’s the difference between cinematic sources and books. Cinema’s visual aspect can enhance your descriptions of settings you don’t know much about. Live characterisation can also improve character development since there are so many personalities visible in series and movies. It’s like dramatised people-watching at home!
Luckily, there’s no shortage of novels, movies, or series in any genre to help you broaden your horizons. Art can create art — as long as you’re careful not to plagiarise whatever source of art you’re drawing from.
For more ways to find writing inspiration in different places, read this article by Emilie A. at The Young Writer or check in on the advice from Masterclass.
Combining it All
Inspiration really can come from anywhere, and you may be surprised by what something small and seemingly insignificant can become. Don’t be afraid to use objects, hobbies, or genres you enjoy as sources of inspiration just because you can’t immediately see where the idea will go.
Writing takes time. There’s no rush to have an entire novel written in one month, complete as a final draft. It may not be impossible, but it’s highly impractical.
Give yourself the time to let your idea tease you and evolve at its own pace. Do research, whether online or through novels, series, and movies. Play around with different concepts, ideas, and genres to see which combinations will allow you to create a story that is uniquely and proudly yours.
It took me two years to write From the Ashes (with a deadline nudge from my parents—having someone to hold you accountable can keep you from sitting on an idea for too long). My small brooch inspired a much more intricate novel than I could have expected, with murder, mystery, and history coming together with family, friendship, and forgiveness.
So, don’t be intimidated if you feel like there’s nothing new you can contribute. Millennia of writing, and there are still have new ideas filling the shelves each month. You may be amazed by what small sources of inspiration, different people, and the willingness to work can accomplish.
Written: July 2024
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