A Week of Tips and Tricks to Writing - #5 Looking for Inspiration

There have been times when, after finishing a book I've spent months completing, I've been dry when it comes to inspiration for the next novel. And sometimes, going back to an unfinished WIP just doesn't crank up the creative juices.

That's when I go to a store and start perusing the magazine rack. Yes, the magazine rack. Why? Because I might find something that intrigues me. It could be a shot of a guy or girl that calls out to me to be the next hero or heroine. Or it could be a location that draws me in. Or a staged shot that looks like it could be a scene right out of a movie. It could be anything, large or small, that blossoms into a whole new idea for a book. Or maybe it's simply the "getting away" that starts me thinking.

So why magazines and not books? Sure, I bury myself into a book at times, but a magazine is faster, more diverse. And it has pictures!