Junot Diaz keeps a folder of any inspirational thing he encounters (ex. a black and white picture of his father in a fascist uniform, newspaper clippings, notebooks from the writing processes of his prevous books, mementos from previous points in his life, etc.). The picture of his father was Diaz’s main inspiration for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

What can you do to rev up your creative juices?

When I was working on Glory Days I kept a notebook of words and images that felt particularly powerful or “popped” when I read them. I’d read and re-read these words each morning before I began to work. How can you remain inspired as you write toward your current project? Could you try to work in a different art medium? Are there letters or artifacts from a family member that you could sift through? What about beginning a daily exercise regimen or beginning a Pinterest board for your characters?

The options are up to you, but writing inspiration sometimes requires a little creativity—something that you have. Sometimes we think that creative writing is something that just happens—it’s not. Writers prime the well and they do so by figuring out the methods that speak most clearly to them.

So start thinking about what might inspire your work and then keep going.