Sparks

Kindling

A quick web browser search of this term returns results defining kindling as a noun that is an easily combustible material used to start a fire. For our purposes, kindling is a kind of inspiration, motivation, or stimulus for you and your writing. I’ll be posting kindling I use for myself just in case it might also be helpful for you.

Here’s an example:
Every year, I try to create a fun, pithy play on words for the new year’s number. For instance, in 2018, I changed it to Twenty Great-teen, for 2019, I changed it to Twenty-Mine-teen, and in 2021, I changed it to Twenty Twenty-Wonderful.

This year, I’m going with:
Twenty Twenty-Four
Twenty Plenty-Four
Twenty Plenty-For-Us-All

This little exercise kindles the kind of inspiration that can send my brain into several different directions.

  1. If Twenty Plenty-For-Us-All is the theme for the year, what’s your word for the year? Why did you pick that word? How did it come to you? How are you going to keep that word at the front of your mind to stay motivated to live it out for the next 365 days.
  2. What would this year look like if you only knew plenty in all aspects of your life? What would relationships look like? How would your career be impacted? How would you spend your time? What’s this dream life look like in detail?
  3. Based on the answers from number two: How far away from that dream life is your life now? What’s holding you back from achieving that plentiful mindset? What’s one step you could take to get to that plentiful mindset? What’s at risk if you live with a plentiful mindset?
  4. Do you know anyone who you think has a plentiful life, but lives with a mindset of scarcity? If not, can you imagine someone? Write about this person, real or fiction. Write about all they have and how they act like they don’t. Write about how it impacts their relationships, career, their own mental health.
  5. Now write a short vignette depicting an example of how it impacted a specific interaction for them. Did they have a bad experience with waitstaff at a restaurant? Did they have an emotional implosion at work? Does something so traumatic happen to them to cause them to change or are they cemented in their ways further?

I hope today’s kindling was helpful and ignited some inspiration for you.