Struck with inspiration - starting the idea that’s eating at you

Published on September 22nd, 2025 by Emma

Every written piece ever started with an idea. Reading a book, listening to music, observing the world around you; everything ever was inspired by something. When that idea bleeds into the margin of your notes, voice memos of your phone, or even a whole collection of sticky-notes itself, THAT’S where an idea that NEEDS to be written begins.

I’ve personally had this happen to me a fair-few times, where every-other-thought in my head was related to an idea, character, or story just aching to be told. It evolved into a collection of scrap papers with blurbs, folders of half-baked ideas, but nothing more. I know over a good handful of writers who’ve experienced this, the lightning-strike of inspiration coursing through the mind and body, but never reaching the final outlet of actually sitting down and writing.

The story I’m working on right now started as a jotted idea on a blue sticky note around 5-ish years ago. Since then, I’ve named and characterized (very very loosely) the main characters, given myself visual references for them, collected a good chunk of world building bits cut out of coursework notes, and half-baked scenes on loose leaf and notes apps. The plot jumps around in my head, but the main themes have been pretty clear since the idea’s conceptualization all those years ago.

Like any writer, my worst enemy has been writer’s block and an inability to know where to start this. Sure, I can sit and free-write, but about what? What aspects do I write out? Should it be out of order? Am I going to patchwork-quilt this story together scene by scene? THAT is what I want to know, and unlike most creative writers, I’m going to get scientifically-minded about this. Like in any merit-holding scientific study, I’m going to hypothesize what’ll come from this and see how it goes. See if having an outside force (you, the reader) following the process will yield any different results (finally get past writer’s block and like a ‘creative stagnation’ of sorts)!!!