Every writer knows that sometimes you struggle. You get writer’s block. You feel uninspired. You’re drained. So, where do the pros go when they need to fuel their creative fire? Our team pondered the question: Which magazine or book do you turn to for inspiration? Where are your favorite places to find good writing?
Here’s what we said:
Allison Thomas, Writer/Editor:
Books: Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott); Secrets of a Freelance Writer (Robert Bly). Just reading well-written books is helpful, but I specifically love biographies and/or autobiographies for this purpose. Telling a good story is never an easy feat, but when you can tell a riveting one based on a real person’s life, that’s pretty amazing to me.
As for other sources, I enjoy magazines like The New Yorker, The Atlantic and Vanity Fair as well as news websites like The Daily Beast, Salon, Vox (especially for their “explainers”) and essentially anything from NPR. Oh, and political satire.
Stephanie Thurrott, Writer/Editor/Content Creator:
I like the articles and links from Grub Street in Boston and Gotham Writers in New York City. I subscribe to their email lists, and they both offer a range of information and inspiration for writers, plus classes.
Shelley Flannery, Writer/Editor:
Fortunately, a lot of my friends on Facebook are great writers, so I don’t have to go far. I like seeing what my peers are up to and tend to be more inspired by them than “famous” writers, because if they can do it, I (probably) can too.
Stephanie Conner, Writer/Editor/Content Strategist:
Bird by Bird is perhaps my favorite book about writing. I also love picking up the latest Writer’s Digest or other magazines about the craft to help reinvigorate my passion. I think some of the best newsstand writing can be found in magazines like Vanity Fair, GQ, Wired and The New Yorker. I love wandering through the bookstore and finding something new to read. Being among words is in itself inspiring.