Somewhere on a Seattle street there is a fizzy drinks vending machine, out there in the open, vending drinks for thirsty passers-by. No-one knows who owns it or who keeps it stocked, or at least no-one is telling. It is a mystery for those happy not to delve to deep.
Things like this are like a gem for me as a Writer, I am inspired by the idea that someone has gone out of their way to bring a little extra mystery to a world which otherwise makes a little more sense every day.
The cure for Writer’s Block.
Articles such as this are the rocket fuel, together with the odd mug of tea, with which to blast through Writer’s Block. Finding something to inspire you can be easier if you know the sorts of things that fascinate you outside of the realms of writing. Whether that is music or pictures and anything from the unexplained to knitting.
With regard to the unexplained and knitting, I am convinced both contain patterns if you look hard enough.
An online scrapbook
I have started to keep an online scrapbook of the things that fascinate and inspire me. Those things I might stumble across on the internet and otherwise forget about. There are various sites and resources available to help you build your own online scrapbook; a resource you can draw upon for inspiration and these are just the ones that I use.
Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/
Pinterest is a great resource for collecting inspirational images. You can create your own online galleries of images. I have created several ‘boards’ covering categories such as travel, home decor and even food.
Essentially Pinterest allows you to search and browse images other people have uploaded based on the categories of your choice and pin any images that inspire you to your own boards for later reference.
Pinterest is free to use and represents a great tool that allows you to scout out your next story location without having to hop on a plane. You can also upload your own images for others to pin if you choose to do so.
Spotify
http://www.spotify.com/
Spotify is a music streaming service with allows free access via the basic package that includes advertising. Among other things, using Spotify you can create and listen to playlists of songs even if they’re not in your iTunes library, this is great if like me you are inspired by music when you write.
Often if you hear a song on the radio that is new to you and it sparks a writing idea you can go to Spotify and add it to your writing soundtrack. If you really like the song, you might also want to pay the artist back by buying it.
Other sites you might find inspirational include:
Atlas Obscura
http://www.atlasobscura.com/
A beautifully designed site dedicated to mystery and wonder around the globe, incidentally it is also where I found out about the fizzy drinks vending machine, this is a great site for discovering many cases where fact is certainly stranger than fiction.
National Geographic Photo of the Day
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/
NAtional Geographic magazine is known for its award winning photography, on the link above you can view a new, stunning image every day of the year.
Incidentally, if you would like to follow me on Pinterest I can be found at: www.pinterest.com/jlfanthorpe
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