No matter how much you love to write, there will always be days when you need to be inspired by one muse or another. I could open a debate about whether inspiration is not just something we crave but an integral part of every creative process. Every writer needs to be inspired if they want to write well; most of the time, our inspiration comes to us in the strangest ways and from the most unexpected places. I’ve compiled for you a list of 30 ways to get inspired, some obvious, some not so obvious. We all have our methods, but it’s always good to have them in writing and compare.

Blogging.One of my favorites. There are millions of blogs about any topic you can imagine (and about so many others you can’t even imagine). I love to see what motivates others, and give it a try. Be inspired, but don’t copy.

Books.My favorite. I like to read writers I admire, I want to read, I like to analyze what they write, I like to steal, to imitate, to try to do what they do. Personally, I love fiction and above all, horror, however I read anything that falls into my hands; without going any further, right now I’m reading “On the Road” by Jack Keroack. If you always read the same authors, try to change, and you might find amazing things.

Things you hear.When I’m somewhere public, I always tend to have my antenna on. I like to listen to other people’s conversations, I don’t do it in a rude way, I try to do it discreetly. All writers, at heart, are a bit of voyeurs. Usually you don’t listen to anything worthwhile, but there’s always the possibility of picking up an interesting dialogue, listen, and write it down in your notebook. It might give you some inspiration for something. Picking up an interesting dialogue, listen, and write it down in your notebook. It might give you some inspiration for something.

Magazines.A magazine is usually not exactly the place to find good literary material, especially when magazines of the heart flood the current market. However, there are supplements and other magazines where you can find some inspiration. Magazines do not attract readers for their literary quality, they make up for that lack with different approaches, voices and rhythms, and that is where we can learn. You can also find article review examples before reading full articles, which can save us time in a huge pile of content.

Movies.Sometimes, when I’m watching a movie, a character says something interesting and I think, “I have to do a post about this” or “I’ll save this line for later.” Sometimes the screenwriters write wonderful dialogues (if they know anything it’s that), sometimes the photography is magnificent, the landscapes or even the gestures of an actor.

Forums.When someone writes in a forum, they don’t usually worry about form or spelling. When you write in forums, the important thing is to share information or make your ideas known. And it is those ideas that can inspire us when we write. You don’t need to spend all day in forums, however, if you are looking for ideas, forums are a wonderful place to find them.

Art.For a writer, there is no greater inspiration than art itself. Although it’s not the same as seeing it in person, you can find inspiration in great art, just Google it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be classic art, anything will do, anime, comics…it’s up to you.

Music.Along the same lines you can find a lot of inspiration in music, from Grieg to Bach, from The Ramones to Radiohead. Music is life, I usually write with music in the background, and the truth is that it’s magical.

Friends.Chatting with friends, in person, by phone, by email has inspired me on occasion, I’ve even written in a story a conversation just as I had it. Your friends will critique your ideas, give them another perspective, and give you their own ideas.

Writing Groups.Whether its writing groups and paper writing services like wowessays.com all this are a source of energy and inspiration for writing that you should keep in mind. You can find poems, novels, articles, and many other inspiring things here.

Famous quotes.I couldn’t say why, but great famous quotes tend to motivate me to write. Sometimes, if I’m stuck or feeling thick, I’ll go to a quote website and read until I get that spark.

Nature.Stuck, out of ideas? Get your butt out of the chair and go for a walk or a run. Get away from the sidewalks and streets, look for places full of trees, grass and greenery. A park, a river, the beach, a pond?

History.Great people from history can inspire you to do great things. My favorites are Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca…

Travel.Maybe you do a round-the-world trip, or just a weekend getaway, get out of your area, see other landscapes, other people, other food, other customs. Use those places to change the way you see things.

Kids.I have many little cousins (most of them have already gone to school).

Children.I have many little cousins (most of them have grown up), but they were my favorite people. When I played with them, when I spent time with them, I always learned something new. Children have a different way of looking at things, no holds barred, no taboos. They say what they think and they don’t care what you think about what they say.

Exercise.Exercising is not only good for the body, by increasing the blood flow to the brain and being outdoors, your thoughts will flow more freely.\nReligion. You don’t have to be religious, I’m not religious at all, however the great religions can be sources of inspiration. I’m not just talking about Christianity and Islam, but also Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism…any religion can be inspiring, with all its mythology and gods.

Newspapers.I am not at all fond of newspapers, for a while I was quite fond of reading them. But I got tired of it, the news ends up looking like the same thing over and over again. However, if you know what to look for you’ll be surprised, sometimes fact beats fiction.

Dreams.Dreams are a source of inspiration (sometimes advice), I keep a notebook where I write down dreams (when I’m able to remember them).

Writing journal.I recommend having one. It doesn’t need to be pretty, with leather covers and all, you don’t even need to write in it every day. An ordinary notebook will do. You just need to write whatever comes to mind, sentences, bits of something, single paragraphs, whatever pops into your head. You can use many of those pieces later.

Poetry.How can poetry inspire prose? Nothing better than the rhythm and beauty of a good poem to inspire great emotions and ideas.\nShakespeare. The eternal Bard is always a source of inspiration for me, his stories are impossible to pigeonhole, love, drama, comedy, ghosts, witches, murder, racism…everything fits within the enormous work he bequeathed us. If you are not a fan of the English writer, you can turn to Cervantes, who is as good (or even better) than Shakespeare.

Google.What can I tell you? Possibly the greatest source of information that exists, if you are dry of ideas, just type anything and see what comes out…\nFree Writing. A great exercise, either to find inspiration or to let off steam in times of stress. Take a sheet of paper, a pen and let yourself go; don’t think, just write whatever comes to your mind.

Brainstorming.Similar to free writing, but writing ideas instead of prose. Let the ideas flow, don’t put limits on them, no matter how stupid they may seem. Here the important thing is speed and quantity, not quality; however, you will always find some pearl among the chaff.

Flickr.Art, great paintings and sculptures will inspire you, but so can great photographs. On Flickr you will find incredible photographs.\nChange your routine. Get out of your routine to see things from a different perspective. If you normally get up and get ready for work, try getting up earlier and exercising. If you always go to work in the same place, try changing your route.

Stories of overcoming.I personally don’t like it, but some people find it works for them. Chicken Soup for the Soul, still a bestseller, reading other people’s stories of self-improvement can help inspire you. I’m not sold on it.

We are almost always too closed in on ourselves, we have too many things on our minds and we don’t have time to observe what’s going on around us. Sit in a public place, forget about everything and observe the people around you. Nothing inspires us more than humanity itself.\nNow it’s your turn, what method do you use to inspire you, do you have a different