The Inspiration of Reading

I have been reading Emily Henry novels recently, by recommendations of both friends and family, and I find myself inspired to write after each instance of that spark in her stories. You know the one, the "oh, this is so much more than I thought it was." The part with all the tingles and stuff. I'm currently reading Happy Place, and so this part is accompanied with a lot of buzzed antics. While I, myself, have never been high, I find that the writing of this section is truly inspired because it reminds me of how I dream.

Now, if you know me, you know I get a lot of ideas from my dreams, and I always work my best when I'm sleepy. This is a process called automatic writing (which I know I evangelize way too much) where you allow your mind to drift and simply follow it wherever it goes. No pausing, no editing, no questioning. You have to let the winds take you where they may. It's just that this book, and this moment, in particular have reminded me of this and inspired me to keep working on my projects. I don't even have that spark of an idea yet, but rather this sense of "if I read the last thing I wrote, I can simply continue." Which, as my writer friends know, is an invaluable feeling. 

However, this also reminded me that I have a reading journal (or rather a note on my phone) which you may have noticed as a part of my 2025 bingo card, where I make notes as I read other books of words I didn't know, descriptions I hadn't thought of before, things I appreciate when writers do, things I am growing impatient with, etc. Just thoughts that come to my mind as I read of how I can improve my own writing. I think someday I'll compile the best notes I have and which books I was reading when I recorded them so that you can see the sorts of things that stand out to me. 

Anyways, this feeling is great, and I'm itching to get to work!