Writing creative writing, story writing and other writings by Rob Hopcott

Watching evening performances of classical music symphonies on television stimulates ideas for writing.

Many of my best ideas for writing fiction, articles, short stories, flash fictions, novels and novellas come to me while I am listening to music in the evenings.

When I have finished my day’s writing at about five or six o’clock, after I have eaten my evening meal, I like to listen to classical music.

As I listen to the music, my mind drifts over the things I have done during the day. Ideas and thoughts are mixed together and mulled over and, often, I find myself making notes about these new ideas for writing in my ideas notebook.

In comparison, if I watch a film, whether it is a thriller or a romance, it seems to take my attention to a much greater degree. It rarely stimulates me to  creative thought about new ideas, concepts and plans.

Of course, you may be different. Watching a symphony performed on television might be completely alien to what you like to do. Perhaps, for you, a thrilling film allows your mind to wander in the same way music does for me.

However, I suspect there is something about music that puts us into a more contemplative mood than watching or listening to a story. I am not saying that I don’t like watching films but merely that they don’t put me into a creative frame of mind and help me generate ideas for writing or anything else.

Strangely, watching a factual film does allow my mind to wander. Watching a documentary is also useful because it provides new fuel for my thoughts. It feeds my mind with new situations, new possibilities and new facts. When I watch a documentary about building the longest bridge across the widest river, I’m thinking about the lives of the people that achieved this amazing project. What tensions did they suffer? What were their hopes and fears? Did some of them fail? Were any of them fired? How did their work experience in building the bridge affect their family lives?

So, for me, listening to music and watching television documentaries is a great way to let my mind wander and help generate ideas for writing. Perhaps it might work for you.

If listening to music or watching a documentary doesn’t help, here is another idea for writing inspiration.

Try to remember those moments in your life when you did have a great idea for writing? What were you doing at the time? Could you put yourself back in that situation so that it might inspire you again?

Reading about what inspires other people is useful but what is most important is what inspires you.

If you would like to read more about writing ideas, you may like to check out my other article Ideas for writing - ambitions, dreams and the power of ‘What if?’

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online writer