From one writer to another: “You have something to offer the world … we can do it if we just gather up our courage and fly.”

Writers are capable of gathering ideas, inspiration, and confidence from just about anything and anyone.

Can you relate?

Take Malaika Awori, for example, and the story of how this med school student went from timid blogger to confident wordsmith:

I used to be shy about writing publicly … But the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write, and blogging has become a great creative outlet for me to practice my writing skills, and to inspire others, too.

My writing has evolved to include other topics as inspired by my rambunctious children and those around me. What it comes down to is that I get inspiration from people and I am here to inspire in return.

“You have something to offer the world,” Malaika says. “We may not always feel ready but we can do it if we just gather up our courage and fly.”

You could be in the spotlight!

Tell us what inspires your writing, and the next article on this blog might be about you.

I look forward to hearing your words of wisdom!

Share your answer here

In each of us, there’s something that drives us to write

What is it for you?

What is it that makes you sit down and let the words flow each day?

Something drives you, and we’d like to know what it is.

Tell us your answer, and you could be featured on this blog!

For Patrick Hart, who wrote his whole novel at work — on his overnight shift — using only his iPhone …

“What inspires my writing is emotion. I’ve been an intensely empathetic individual my whole life, so I take in the emotion in a room like a sponge, which is great for writing, but not necessarily for peace of mind.”

Sarah Tinsley says:

“… nothing gets me fired up for writing more than being out in the world and doing interesting stuff … If I can’t find inspiration at my desk, I head out into the world and find it there.”

And finally …

“What inspires my writing? Anything that knocks me off my perch. I write most freely when I feel a little bit uneasy.”

—Rebecca Longman

(This coming from someone who abandoned public transportation in favor of walking around her sprawling city. Enough to make anyone quite uneasy!)

The next article we feature might just be about you.

Submit your answer here — I look forward to hearing from you!

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I’m Timothy Pike, and I’ve been helping writers become published indie authors since 2014.

Join our indie discovery network and supercharge your career by connecting with other pros in the book world!

Our inspiration to write comes from everywhere

This blog, What Inspires Your Writing?, is all about, well, what inspires your writing.

I asked, and I received!

Here are some of the beautiful answers you gave me:

“I have a desire to write, that’s a given, but the inspiration? That comes from everyday moments. A story in the news, an unexpected downpour of rain, a heartfelt song on the radio, even a heated debate with a loved one.”

—Caroline Peckham

“My inspiration comes from the people I meet and the conversations I have.”

—Lori Rensink

“Whether it’s laughter or the dark side of life, the human spirit inspires me.”

—Sheila M. Good

What is it for you?

Submit your answer here, and you could be featured on this blog!

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I’m Timothy Pike, copy editor and self-publishing guide, and I’ve been in the book business since 2014.

I created the ChapterBuzz Indie Author Network to help you achieve your biggest goal: becoming a published author.

Get your {Fresh Start} Indie Author Kit when you sign up!

In case you missed it: A map-making writer & more news from the network

What inspires your writing? (Photo: N.E. White)

Here’s the latest from across the ChapterBuzz Indie Author Network!

Please join us in the network if you haven’t already.

A lot has happened this week, and I don’t want you to miss out, so here are some of the things you may have missed if you don’t receive our newsletter.

In case you missed it:

Inspired by fantastical worlds … and of course, maps

“My day job is making maps,” says N.E. White, a specialist in geographic information systems.

But she’s also a talented writer of fantasy, and all three installments of her Mapmaker Trilogy are now available.

I asked her, “What inspires your writing?” and I won’t spoil it, but Nila had an excellent answer.

Read the article here — and be sure to give it a “Like”!

What inspires your writing?

Submit your answer here … and you could be the next writer featured on our blog!

By all means, keep your darlings (if they fit)

The expression “kill your darlings” does not mean you have to get rid of the scenes and characters you love. It simply means that if you find yourself trying to justify their existence — or worse, twisting your story into a pretzel so it all makes sense — then perhaps these “darlings” simply don’t fit.

Read the rest at our other blog!

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I’m Timothy Pike, copy editor and self-publishing guide, and I’ve been in the book business since 2014.

I created the ChapterBuzz Indie Author Network to help you achieve your biggest goal: becoming a published author.

Inspired by fantastical worlds … and of course, maps

Today, we meet N.E. White, a fantasy and science fiction author who, according to her blog, is also a lover of books, bike rides, and bats.

What will you find when you visit her blog? “Stuff,” Nila tells us. “Mostly just my fiction, updates on my progress writing said fiction, and maybe an errant post or two about life.”

It’s also packed with writing tips and information on some of the fantasy and sci-fi anthologies Nila has helped put together over the years.

“But be warned,” she says, “I really don’t know what I’m doing.” (Which I can’t say I’m inclined to believe, because when it comes to writing, Nila is clearly doing something right.)

And when it comes to maps, well, as a specialist in geographic information systems, it’s what she knows best.

Fitting, then, that the protagonist of Mapmaker Trilogy, Nila’s fantasy adventure series, is herself a cartographer.

As for Nila’s writing career, time will tell. For all of her literary success, writing is still a side project, albeit one she enjoys a lot.

“Like you, I have stories in my head and I do my best to write them down,” she says, “but this is just a hobby. My day job is making maps.”

Read on to find out what inspires Nila’s writing — and if YOU would like to be featured on this blog, send in your own answer here!

Mt. Hoffmann in Yosemite National Park (Photo credit: N.E. White)

Nila’s two cents:

I write because I enjoy immersing myself in fantastical worlds where only my wits, tenacity, and perseverance will save my characters. As harsh as it sounds, challenging my imaginary friends to complete impossible tasks is satisfying — especially when they seemingly solve an ingenious solution. Lastly, exploring awe-inspiring landscapes with words brings me to tears.

For a time, I didn’t think I wanted to share my stories. They are rather silly. But recently, I self-published my first epic fantasy novel and my brother, of all people, was transported to a new world and enjoyed the journey. Though I write to explore wondrous worlds of my own making, I now have an audience in mind. And I find that an inspiration, too.

HELP NILA REACH THE TOP!

Like & comment below, then share this article on Facebook so we can let the world know about Nila.

If you’d like to share your own thoughts, let us know what inspires your writing for a chance to be featured on this blog. Submit your entry here

But what does writing DO for you?

You know it as well as I do: writing isn’t just something we do for fun.

There’s a larger purpose … but what is it?

Kat Frost writes because “I always wanted wings — to be able to fly. But I’m chained to the ground.” Her writing, she says, is like her wings.

For Janine Clifton, it’s more like a journey through time. “I write to relive my adventures,” she says, “albeit hashed up versions of them.”

There’s a similar reason Sheila M. Good writes, except seemingly with more urgency. “I write in pursuit of lost memories,” she tells us, “gathering them to me like a squirrel gathering nuts before the winter cold.”

How about you? Tell me what inspires your writing, and you could be the next author featured on this blog!

Learn how to enter

I look forward to it,
Timothy Pike (Tim)

Let’s hear it from you: what inspires your writing?

It’s different for everyone.

Some are drawn to the power of words, some feel a connection with nature, and others are inspired by the people in their lives.

What is it for you? What inspires your writing?

Send in your answer to this question and you could be featured on this blog.

It’s easy! Here’s how to submit your answer

I love hearing about what makes the writers in our blogging community tick. Cheers!

When this mother hit a rough patch, writing brought big change to her life

When Zuzana Velmovska encountered a difficult chapter in her life, she spent years searching for something that would bring meaning to her days.

“More than one person suggested I try writing,” she says. “That maybe, just maybe, it could help me heal.”

She decided to give it a try. She started a blog called Heal me Today, which she says is “a space I created to honor the healing of the soul.”

It worked. Now, this writer and mother of one from Slovakia wants to help others find that same healing in their own lives.

Zuzana’s blog posts are deeply introspective reflections that shine a light on her road to healing. It’s a road she admits she’s still walking, but her stories contain so many nuggets of wisdom, it’s clear that others have plenty to learn from her.

She’s hoping her thoughts and observations will resonate with writers and non-writers alike, allowing them to usher in an era of personal transformation.

Keep reading to find out what inspires Zuzana’s writing.

Would you like to be featured here? Share your writing inspiration with the rest of us and you, too, could be reading about yourself in this very space.

Zuzana’s two cents

What inspires me is mainly sharing and helping. I am going through a very hard time, and for many years already, it’s been a struggle to be me. While I tried to find something that could help me and bring me joy again, I decided writing about it would be a good decision. And it was. Maybe there is someone in the world who is struggling like me, and if he or she would see my posts, it might show them they are not alone and that it’s okay not to be okay. Writing helps me share my feelings and thoughts, and that brings some kind of relief.

I like to write because for me, the written word is an amazing tool to connect people and help them live their fantasies, and sometimes it’s easier to write it than to say it. I like to share posts about things I’m passionate about. Unfortunately, some people abuse the power of the written word to hate, belittle, and hurt. Expressing opinions constructively and diplomatically is perfectly fine, but nowadays people often hide behind written words on social networks.

Be sure to follow Zuzana’s blog for more.

So, care to share? Let me know what inspires your writing for a chance to be featured on this blog! Submit your entry here

Your comments are welcome below.

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I’m Timothy Pike, copy editor and self-publishing guide, and I’ve been in the book business since 2014.

I created the ChapterBuzz Indie Author Network to help you achieve your biggest goal: becoming a published author.

Your words are your superpower

As a writer, you have great power in your hands — literally.

The ideas, the way we express them, and the reasons we write in the first place are as varied as we are as people.

This is why I’m so interested in why you write … and where you get the inspiration to do it.

And it’s why I’d like to feature you on our blog!

Send in your 250-word answer to “What inspires your writing?” and you could be in the spotlight.

Check it out & enter the contest:
https://whatinspiresyourwriting.wordpress.com/share

I look forward to hearing a little about what makes you tick as a writer!

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I’m Timothy Pike, copy editor and self-publishing guide, and I’ve been in the book business since 2014.

I created the ChapterBuzz Indie Author Network to help you achieve your biggest goal: becoming a published author.

You could be our featured writer!

I am looking forward to featuring some of our most inspirational writers right here in this space.

Is that you?

These days, I know we could all use some positive words — and a nudge in the right direction with our own writing — which is why I want to get these messages out there.

So, I ask you …

What inspires your writing?

Answer this question in 250 words or less, and you could be the next featured writer on our site!

Please submit your entry at:
https://whatinspiresyourwriting.wordpress.com/share

I look forward to your answer. Good luck!