Inspired by the Written Words of Others

Do you find yourself trying to write, but the words are hard to come by?

Let me share with you how the stories of others have helped me keep going in my own writing and the three keys that help me to stay inspired.

If you’re new here, welcome! My name is Glen Weatherhead, fantasy author and your personal Creative Writing Wizard.

I used to believe I wasn’t a writer, but I’ve published several short stories and have a novel nearing the point of querying. This is what I know:

You can write your story. Let me show you how.

Stick around to the end to hear of the latest of these efforts and how authors can get additional reach for your stories through the magic of voice.

Let’s get into it!

If you prefer listening, I’ve also recorded a narrated version here:

The Many Places of Inspiration

New ideas for my own stories tend to come at somewhat odd times, which I’ve talked about in the past. But there are times that I need an extra bit of help to get myself back into my writing.

I’ll have moments knowing that I want to write, but the ideas aren’t coming to me. I’ll find myself having time to put words to paper, but nothing comes out.

It’s at times like these that I turn to another source of inspiration: the written words of other authors and their stories.

I’ll highlight a few, dig into the three keys for how they have helped me, and can give idea for how you can continue to be inspired.

Most recently, helping to organize the StarPath Creatives writing contest, I found myself skipping off the surface of a wide variety of stories (many from genres I normally wouldn’t read). In each, I got a glimpse of the diverse creativity of other fellow writers.

Over the summer I also had the opportunity to visit L. M. Montgomery’s house, look over the Lake of Shining Waters, and see the desk where Ann of Green Gables (among other works) was written. It was a surreal experience to stand where she did and see what inspired her own writing.

“They had driven over the crest of a hill. Below them was a pond… I shall call it—let me see—‘the Lake of Shining Waters.’ Yes, that is the right name for it. I know because of the thrill.”
Anne of Green Gables

In each of these moments, I got to step outside my own writing and experience worlds created by others. I’ll have more to say on one of the short stories in the coming weeks, but for now I’d like to focus on two specific stories and how they have helped me in my writing.

My Go To for Inspiration

My two go-to stories for inspiration are The Lord of the Rings, and The Expanse, both for different reasons. And I’ll explain why this method is a helpful way to get back into your stories and get words on the page.

With The Expanse, it is a large part of the inspiration of my current WIP novel (with my story written from a fantasy perspective). It’s taken me over two years to get to where I’m at with my novel, and through that time there have been some serious ups and downs along the way. There have been several times where I was tempted to put the book down and let it go, and it was moments like this that I would go back to where the spark for this story began.

This is the first key: when you have a spark of inspiration, hold onto that spark. If you feel that spark beginning to fade, revisit where it began and remind yourself why you’re writing your story.

The Lord of the Rings, is one of my favorites and it has several great examples of ordinary people who persevered in the face of insurmountable odds to defeat darkness.

How it inspires me is as a reminder of the process, and that some stories take time. I applaud those who are able to finish a book within a year, but for me the process is slower and at times I’ve wondered if I would ever finish. This is where the Lord of the Rings comes into play. It took roughly 16 years from the initial ideas of The Lord of the Rings till its publication. But Tolkien kept at it, refining it, rewriting it, and working it into the books we know today.

This is the second key: The road may be long, but if you keep at it, keep working on your story over time, you will finish. That is a fact.

You Don’t Need to Go Alone

The author journey can be tough at times, but it doesn’t always have to be. In all of the examples above, these authors found people who could walk alongside them, encourage them, challenge them, and ultimately lead to amazing works being published.

This is the third key: Surround yourself with supportive and encouraging people. You don’t need to go alone.

Tolkien almost didn’t publish his book, at several points it didn’t seem like it would happen! But his family (mainly his wife and his son Christopher) and a few close friends (namely C.S. Lewis) encouraged him along the way, helping him to make an excellent story.

If you haven’t found your people, keep looking. You will find the author journey is much more pleasant with company, helping you along the way.

If you want to learn from what I’ve found helpful to help make your writing journey a little easier, or just someone to encourage you along the way, I’m here.

Subscribe to follow along, as you walk out your writing journey.

Most importantly,

Keep writing, and stay creative.

Indie Book Releases – November

Looking for inspiration from other authors who have come before or looking for fresh reads? Check out these amazing Indie Books on the Indie Release Radar!

And a special thanks to the wizards in the Hall of Heroes who help support these efforts and help these words reach more people.

Soft Launch of Something New!

I’m happy to announce the latest of my efforts to support other authors:
Creative Reading Wizard!

I’ve been thinking about how I can support authors in new and creative ways, and so the series of events leading to now has showed me the potential in doing narration and voice overs. With a heart for Indie authors who often are strapped for cash, I’m going to be using my voice and new socials to help authors and boost their signal.

In essence, I’ll be using my new socials account (Creative Reading Wizard) to read snippets, blurbs, and quotes to help give voice to people’s stories! This to be paired with my ongoing Indie Release Radar work in the new and upcoming indie books.

As this is a soft-launch, I am currently taking submissions from those who are subscribed to the Creative Writing Wizard newsletter and Patreon members and financial backers. (I will be giving a slight priority to those who have financially backed these efforts as a thank you for helping these efforts go even further than I could have if I tried on my own.)

I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to do all submissions, but as I grow into this new socials and become more efficient in the flow of work, my goal is to lean into this in 2026 as well and open it up to more.

Newsletter Subscribers can access the form below.

Creative Writing Wizard