Writing Inspiration Tip: Read the News

Photo by Rishabh Sharma on Unsplash

There is a quote I love by Louis L’Amour, which I came across in 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists.

Ideas are everywhere. There are ideas enough in any daily newspaper to keep a man writing for years. Ideas are all about us, in the people we meet, the way we live, the way we travel, and how we think about things.

Today, I am focusing on the newspaper part of the quote because it is so very true. Starved for ideas? Pick up a paper. By "pick up," I mean visit their websites, because this is 2026 and nobody outside of your grandparents reads physical papers.

It doesn't have to be the NYT or WaPo. Maybe you prefer reading Renewable Energy Magazine or Vulture or TMZ. Whatever. Pick something and read it.

Oh, and I would never recommend using RemovePaywall.com, a free and fairly reliable resource.

Last year, I began saving articles that stood out to me, stuff that's either exceptionally well-written or exceptionally intriguing (preferably both). Some are new, some are old, but they're all fodder for my imagination.

I recommend doing something like this. If you find yourself having a rainy day and you need inspiration, browse your folder of articles.

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Writing without a paywall is important to me, but writing is work. If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I would be honored if you would consider donating.

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