As a working writer, it can be difficult to be productive when your creative energy is tapped out.
Unfortunately, deadlines don’t wait for inspiration. You simply must find ways to write, no matter what. Fortunately, there are many tools available that can help you find creative inspiration, or even help you get out of your own way so that you can allow inspiration to find you.
Here are 7 of these tools. Each one is useful in its own way.
1. OmmWriter
3. iMindQ
iMindQ is an amazing utility that allows you to build on creative ideas. Mind mapping allows you to explore and expand on new ideas in a visual format. If you are working with another writing or other creative person, you can use this utility in presentation mode, so the other person can see your vision as you work on it.
4 AllTop
If you are a blogger, copywriter, or online journalist, your ability to write your next piece depends on being aware of trending topics, important news, and the latest in technology and entertainment. This is why AllTop belongs on your list of favorite websites.
AllTop links the hottest content on the internet in one place so that you can read, engage, and curate everything that is interesting to you. If you’d like, you can even customize your user experience so you follow only the sites that are relevant to you. AllTop links to content from the New York Times, Fast Company, Mashable, and many others.
If you find that you have hit the wall and are completely without inspiration, go visit the Creativity Portal. This website is the mecca for all things creative. As a writer, you will find writing prompts in categories ranging from travel/adventure to a 365 day visual prompt generator. You can also stimulate your brain with writer’s exercises, read interviews of other creative folks, play word games, and read informative blog posts on writing and publishing.
7. Evernote
How much more creative would you feel if you were able to capture all of your writing ideas the moment you thought of them. This is just one of the many functions of Evernote that writers can use. It is a perfect app for jotting down ideas quickly. This means that there is no risk of an idea fading away while you wait to record it. All you need to do is open the app and type in your idea. Later, you can use Evernote to create a project for your new writing idea, or to add that idea to an existing project. As your idea becomes a fully realized writing project, you can use Evernote as both a writing platform, and a way to organize your notes and research.
Julie Ellis is a blogger from Miami, FL. Follow me on Twitter to find more about development of business writing skills.