There are countless articles and posts across the internet about how to beat writer’s block, and no matter how prolific or experienced a writer you are, it is almost guaranteed that if you write for a living or for fun, you have experienced it at least once. For some people, looking at beautiful images inspires them, hence the popularity of platforms like Pinterest. For others, a tight deadline, late night, and lots of coffee are the best motivation. I’m always interested to know what gets peoples creative juices flowing. For me, there are certain books and authors that whenever I read them, I get the itch to go start writing my novel, or finish that freelance assignment I’ve been working on. Their brilliant writing styles inspire me to want to write myself.

1. After You’d Gone: Maggie O’Farrell

The beautiful way she pieces together this heartbreaking tale reeled me into the story, and makes me want to write my own.

2. She Would Draw Flowers: Kirsten Savtiri Bergh

This young women wrote a book of poems before she was killed in a car accident at 17. The musings on friendship, love, and family are full of rich description and depth unimaginable for a life so tragically cut short.

3. The Blind Assassin: Margaret Atwood

I took a creating writing course in college, and the professor had us imitate the style of a different short story each week to try writing in different tones and styles. At the end of the course, we got to choose a story to imitate its style on our own. I picked The Blind Assassin, and loved creating a piece in the model of her beautiful imagery that creates a whole new world in your mind.

4. E.E. Cummings Selected Poems

Such simple lines-

I like my body when it is with your body.

Somewhere I have never travelled gladly beyond

I have closed myself as fingers

Life’s not a paragraph

Sometimes the basics are the most effective.

What gets you motivated to write or create?