NaNoWriMo Day 17: Writing Inspiration Games and Tips I Use Each Year

Finding motivation all month long can be tricky. Right now, we’re about halfway through the month, and the inspiration is waning for many. You’ve been writing that 1667 words a day, struggling to take the next step, write the next word, not completely blank out. You might just need some writing inspiration games at this point.

So, I thought I’d share some of the inspirational tools and games I’ve used each year for those days when I hit a wall. I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me!

1. Story Cubes: A little game of dice with images on them. You toss the dice and have to craft sentences, paragraphs, or even chapters to connect the images on the dice somehow. (Or, if they absolutely don’t match your genre in the slightest, toss again.)
2. Pinterest: Log into the website and search for writing prompts, writing exercises, or writing inspiration. Ideally, keep a board own with all these elements and check in when that blockade smacks your brain in the face.
3. Dictionary.com: Here, I find the word of the day on the home screen and see how I could incorporate it into a scene somewhere.
4. Flickr, Pixabay, or Unsplash: Going to the front page of Flickr and sitting there a while, you’ll see a ton of photos scroll through. Sit, watch, wait until one of them strikes you. Or head over to Unsplash or Pixabay and type in random words that connect to your story in some way. Scroll, find a picture that sparks, and then go write something about it
5. On This Day: There are tons of apps and websites out there that take a look at history, one day at a time, tracking significant events throughout time. Look for events that matter to you or to your characters, see what coincides with their timelines. You might find the perfect event to function as the catalyst.
6. Reedsy’s Writing Prompts: If you want specifically themed or genre-based writing prompts, pop into Reedsy for a few. Here you’ll find thousands of prompts sectioned out by genre. Some of the prompts are pretty good (one inspired my short story in the October quarterly, Familiar Spaces), while others are not so great. You’ll have to dig through for sure, but you might find one that really gets those juices flowing again.

Looking for more writing inspiration? Check out these other offerings from the MockingOwls.

• Ways to Keep the Inspiration Going
• When I Don’t Know What to Write
• Who’s Your Writing Inspiration?
• Writing Prompts for Pushing Through
• Falling in Love
• The Power of Words
• Get That Heart Pumping

Rita Mock-Pike

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Editor-in-Chief of The MockingOwl Roost, Rita Mock-Pike is the granddaughter of aviatrix, Jerrie Mock, first woman to pilot an airplane solo around the world. Rita has found inspiration from her grandmother’s life and flight and pursued many of her own dreams in theatre, podcasting, novel writing, and cooking up delicious food from around the world. She now writes on food, travel, pets, faith, and the arts. She’s happily married to Matt, and faithfully serves the very fluffy kitten queen, Lady Stardust.

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