At some point in your life as a writer, you have to realize that inspiration doesn’t come out of thin air. There is no such thing as pure creation. The mind of a writer does not invent — it is a biological, psychological processor that takes in reality and churns out fiction. We sometimes fall into the trap of assuming that inspiration is all internal; that great stories are merely the result of our obvious literary talents. We forget that inspiration must be earned.

This month has not been as a bloggable as last month. I like to commit to two blogs a week, but the words always stick somewhere between my elbow and my fingers. I sat on my couch, filling out job applications with Netflix or Pandora on in the background and wondered why I had no subject material.

I’m a competent writer. Where is my inspiration?

Sometimes, inspiration strikes when you’re lounging on the couch, but only because you’ve done something earlier to prompt it. Inspiration always comes more readily when we’re busy. It sneaks in with the sensory details of a new places and whispers softly through the dialogue of a new experience.

I didn’t have anything to say in my blog because I hadn’t done anything.

Inspiration doesn’t come when called. It isn’t a dog. It’s the end product of a series of real world events. You can’t write about swashbuckling pirates if you’ve never felt the thrill of adventure and tasted the salty air of the seaside. If you have nothing to write about, go find something to write about and the inspiration will follow.

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Jonny Eberle is a writer and inspiration junkie in Tacoma, WA. You can find him on the Twitter machine, tweeting about the Puget Sound, creativity, politics and weird observations.

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