In the same spirit that is sparked from the writing habit of exploring Bright Spots (giving life to a scene that exists in your head before you know the whole of the story), as I’ve started to look ahead to the end of this year (aiming to finish the first full draft of my novel), I’m mentally prepping for 2027 writing priorities which will include research, revising, and refining.
So, just like following the illuminated paths from Bright Spots, it’s important to consider how research (or things that spark our inherent excitement) can cultivate creative ideas and inspiration.
Now, many of us have been tickled by the endless trauma of research in education or even in the work. Thus, research may have a visceral reaction for you. (Hearing or even seeing the word may have steered you away from this post — I bet there’s even a few whose nostril may flare thinking back to the scent of college library at 2am at night or a taste of distain, with your jaw ajar with a wall of books and some research topic your boss declared intriguing burdening your worklife further.)
Oh, that was a big aside—let’s reset and say, where are not here to relive the research that was imposed upon us. Deep down within us, when school and learning carried with it aspects of nerdy, joyful fun for our once youthful selves, there were thinks that we loved to learn about. Maybe it was a fun dinosaurs book that we tiredlessly flipped through about dinosaurs we can now spot with ease during a Jurassic Park marathon. Mayhaps it was space travel (be it in real life or via the small or big screen space adventures we took in). You could’ve boarded upon the trend of the trains and other transit explorations. But our childhood spirits sparked with particular interests. (Some general, some may have been series or books or fantastical things.)
And as we got older, we had a chance to invest in learning more about particular things. In the high school days or the college daze, that may have looked like elective classes or intermural programming or other things that interest us. It could be our major (or even our minor) — but lean into the aspect of choice. What was it that you dedicated time and brain space that you’ve been excited by? What’re you scrambling to check online as you’re reading something, watching something, or exploring some exhibit at a museum.
I’m sure you may be at this paragraph and you’re wondering: is this about a prompt or process? It’s a prompt! I’m not here to push research processes for writing, as I’ll be learning more about those next year. However, from listening to several writers over the last few weeks (like Shannon Ali Chakraborty), there’s a joy a to leaning into what intrigues, what excites, what you get to geek out over. Sometimes, there’s vulnerability with what we’ve over-researched, sometimes others deem it annoying (which, to each their own), but so often, we’ve blocked off our childhood selves from the things that intrigue our curiosities. So the prompt is, like most, two-fold…
Childhood Research as Inspiration: Identify something from your childhood that you were OBSESSED with!! Whatever the topic take ten minutes to write insights and key bullet points about said topic. Afterwards, reread it and write a short scene, poem, or story that captures aspects of your childhood findings.
Modern Day Research as Inspiration: Think about something you regularly research—it could be politics, it could be the environment, it could be types of stories you read, or even shows you watch. Identify a high-level topic and take ten minutes to write out all aspects of that topic that excite you and write a short scene, poem, or story that captures aspects of your adult findings.
Research Mission: Grab a newspaper, read an article, go to a library and look up topics connected to anything that intrigues you that you want to learn more about. (It can connect to a childhood interest or a topic of adult intrigue.) Spend at least an hour researching, reviewing texts, reading things, listening to podcasts, or watching videos, and captures significant details that spark your intrigue and inspiration. As you do, write them down! (This can even just be a book that you’re reading that centers on a topic that you geek out over.) The next day, take time to review your findings and write a short scene, poem, or story that has been inspired by your findings!
Take time to consider which approach you want to explore more, but don’t temper what excites you. What topic can you research and learn more about, and intentionally note ideas or inspirations that come forth from it? There is so much energy residing within us as creatives, and when we smother it, quiet it, or minimize it, we lose stories that could mean a lot to ourselves and others. It’s also a missed opportunity for our own growth. And with longer work often requiring research, taking time to do so afterwork, may create more work for yourself, then exploring more about your won existing interests as a jumping off point for creative excitement.