Search for the Subject

Whether you share short stories, knit novels, or compose poetry, you are constantly in search of a subject. Where do you find your inspiration? Where do you search for the sanity that is the focus of your piece? The challenge usually is finding something, someone, or some essence worthy enough to place on paper so that the goodness spills out over the page and into the minds and sometimes hearts of your readers. Here are a few quick suggestions for subjects…

1) Look for things with which you are comfortable. Seek the familiar items and start with the small details and work your way through the larger ones. If you happen across those old mittens, that crumpled up hat, or the too small to even think of trying on jeans, reflect on the impact they have or had on your life. Each has its own story. Each has its own sense of inspiration. Where did it lead you? If those are not the source, keep looking.

2) Look through past writings. If you have stories or poems you have written before, search for common themes among them. If you explored only one concept in depth, pull out the others. If you wrote about your favorite pair of sneakers and focused on the soles of the shoes, write this time on the laces and how they made their way to the next pair.

3) Talk with others. Whenever you are stuck on your own, seek out others. The conversations alone will provide enough topics for a well crafted poem let alone a random short story. If you have numerous conversations with an individual, a novel is underway. Their stories become your inspiration. Their tales become your foundation within a world restricting creativity. So, seek out others.
Of course, if none of these methods are not successful, you can seek out the classics and other stories…or, perhaps, join us here. Write and enjoy…