Ironically, I am writing this because I am sort of going through a writer’s block stage.

I’ve admitted to myself that my writer’s block comes from pure laziness, or to put it lightly, a lack of motivation. I have considered writing a hobby of mine since I picked up a journal, not to just write about my day-to-day festivities, but when I started to experience writing as just more than words being written across a piece of paper. Through these many years, I have struggled to find what I deem as 'perfect' in my writing, so I compiled a list of tactics that hopefully spark some motivation in your writing as well.

The first is plain and simple, and that is to just write. Open a blank word document or do it the old-fashioned way with a pen and paper, and write down any word or phrase that pops into your head. Nothing has to make sense, writing has no rules when it comes to gathering inspiration. Actually, just make sure all of your ideas are your own. That’s a rule. Write things that rhyme, and things that don’t rhyme. In my opinion I prefer words that don’t rhyme but can easily flow together as if they did. If that makes any sense at all.

My next tip is to listen to music, depending on what you want to write. I like to put emotion into my writing and go off on sort of tangents that regard that emotion. I take one line from a song that I find resonates with what I want to portray in my writing, and then just go off from there. You can even utilize the first tip by writing that line down and then just thinking of words that connect with it. Also, you can try to rewrite that line in your own words and just do that with other songs until something fits all together. I don’t necessarily listen to music when I write because I find it distracting, instrumentals or not. But my favorite people to listen to to get into that world of words are Lana Del Rey (aka my QUEEN), Keaton Henson, Tom Rosenthal, and Cage the Elephant.

Watch a movie! I am about 30% of the last movie I just watched, so that means right now I am 30% Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. But anyways, if you find a movie compelling enough, you can turn the plot or a character into a piece of writing that you feel embodies the vibe of the movie. My favorite movies to watch are coming-of-age dramas and comedies, because I relate to them more, and it is easier to pull inspiration from the movie and connect it to my own life.

Inspiration can spark at the most inconvenient of times. For example, how can I write down the novel I just created in my head while I'm in the shower? Or how do I save my car thoughts on paper without risking an accident? Even though these are the two places I get a lot of my ideas, it is difficult for me to remember exactly what I wanted to say at the time I thought it without writing it down somehow. Sometimes I'll speak into the notes of my phone through the microphone in my phone if I'm in the car and had an idea. But either way, just go for a car ride and maybe something will spark inspiration.

My last tip is to go back through old journals and try to relive the moments that you wrote down. Considering I was an emotional and angsty 14/15 year old gal, this technique is helpful to me. If I see something I wrote that was about a boy I liked at the time, I just try to channel how I felt and turn it into something that 19-year-old Olivia would feel. Just like how you can draw inspiration from your favorite writers’ work, you can draw inspiration from your own, be one of your favorite writers!

All in all, the main thing you must do is write. Write, write, write. Even if it’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve even written, it is better than nothing. Eventually it could turn into your best work. Trust the process.