A shift in how I find writing ideas, started after a workshop in Austin

I used to just sit and wait for inspiration, which meant I'd stare at a blank screen for hours (not fun). Then, about two years ago, I went to a workshop where the leader said, 'Steal your prompts from real life, not your head.' Now, I keep a small notebook and write down one strange thing I see or hear every single day. Last Tuesday, it was a man at the grocery store arguing with the self-checkout machine. That simple habit gives me a list of fifty-plus starting points a month, ready to go. Does anyone else use a daily observation system like that, or have a different trick?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_wood1mo ago

Hell yes, that's the only way to do it. Most people forget that the real world is weirder than anything you can make up. I take it a step further and record short voice notes of overheard conversations, the exact weird phrases people use. Listening back, the rhythm of how people actually talk is a goldmine for dialogue you'd never invent.

faith_schmidt1mo ago

What's wild is how much we edit ourselves when we write dialogue from scratch, you know? We make it too clean and logical, but real talk is full of weird jumps and half-finished thoughts. That's why catching those raw bits is so key.