Got Writer’s Block? Turn Here for Some Inspiration
T.S. Eliot once famously said. “Good writers borrow, great writers steal.”
I quote him not to advocate for unethical and career-killing plagiarism, but rather to drive home what I suspect was Eliot’s intent: There’s value in studying works of those who excel at their craft.
Here are some of my favorite places to go to find inspiration:
Look to Sunday Morning -- CBS Sunday Morning isn’t one of my “programs,” but I do frequent its website because it features some of the best storytellers in the business. Steve Hartman’s piece about remarkable school bus driver Curtis Jenkins is a narrative masterpiece that is both instructive and inspirational to anyone aiming to craft a story with emotional impact.
Check out the ‘Best American’ series – Sadly, I have gotten away from what was once my ritual of buying several books in the annual Best American Series, which includes compilations of the year’s finest sports writing, food writing, essays, and short stories. The Best American anthologies provide access to some fantastic writing without devouring too much time.
Read Warren Buffett’s annual letter to shareholders -- You don’t have to be an investor to appreciate Buffett’s yearly take on Berkshire Hathaway’s performance. His annual letter excels at translating complex and mundane financial information into accessible and often witty plain-speak. If you’re looking to strip jargon from your writing, you could do worse than follow the Oracle of Omaha’s example.
Learn from Twitter – A trip down the Twitter rabbit hole can devour your time and sometimes sap the soul. However, if you scroll through your feed with a critical eye, you can find some great examples of how to make a point in just a few short words.
Dive into poetry -- Long before Twitter, poets were mastering the art of saying more with less. Keep a book of poems by your desk and dive in when you need some inspiration. Two of my go-to’s are poems by Raymond Carver and Joyce Sutphen.
So go ahead and start the steal. There’s always opportunity to hone your craft by emulating the style and tactics of others.