Coming Back to the Neopian Times

     Perhaps some of you have been away from the Times as well, for several issues or a few months, having put down the pen in favour of more important or distracting pursuits like earning enough Neopoints for one of those newer paint brushes, or finally getting around to vying for a game trophy. Or, inspiration, being the ever-fickle mistress, has proven elusive for a time. Although these instances are different from my disappearance, in all of them, it may be a bit difficult to take up the pen again and write for the Neopian Times once more after being sidetracked or pursuing something else entirely.

     If you’re afraid that you’ve lost your touch or lost touch with inspiration entirely, or that this may happen to you one day, worry not, for this too shall pass. It’s very possible to hunt inspiration throughout Neopia, grab it by the legs and drag it back to you, kicking and screaming.

     But the first step of any problem is acknowledging you have a problem, even if that problem isn’t even a problem to begin with, per se.

     1. It’s okay to lose inspiration or not write anything for a long time.

     Even the best writers anywhere run out of steam or have other more important things on their plate, and that’s fine. Don’t feel pressured to keep on contributing to the Neopian Times just because other authors are relatively more consistent. Writing for the Times is not a race or a competition among authors; it’s a creative endeavour, a means to hone one’s writing skills, and…yeah, a source of shiny trophies and avatars.

     All writers are different, and the inspiration process for one differs from the next. There’s no point in comparing your progress with others or wondering why other authors seem to be able to put out a lot of material. So chin up, and don’t feel bad about not being able to write for a time. What’s important is that now, you have that opportunity again, as well as the opportunity to catch pesky inspiration. Grab your net and your fishing pole.

     2. Think back to what made you enjoy writing, and think back to what you’ve written in the past.

     Moving forward is always an important step whether you are writing or doing something else. But sometimes, it helps to glance over your shoulder at what you have achieved so far, whether you need a little ego boost or are feeling a double helping of nostalgia. That way, you can find and relive the good feelings you had when you wrote a story, sent it in, and watched it show up in the Neopian Times.

     Not to mention, your previous work is evidence that you’ve written before, you’ve found inspiration before, and more importantly, you can do it again.

     And who knows? This might be when you think of a sequel, prequel, or some kind of related piece to your existing work!

     3. Take a walk around the world of Neopia.

     Wait, isn’t this what we always do when we want to look for something to write about? Well, yes, but it becomes even more important when you want to get that ol’ writing spark back. While it’s normal for ideas or plots to materialize when we’re sitting down and letting our imaginations run away, there are times – like now – when we must do the running. Get up and explore Neopia, especially those lands to which you don’t give much attention.

     Alternately, you could bank on the nostalgia factor and remember the places, items, Neopets, Petpets, et cetera, that have provided you with inspiration, or which have moved you to write something.

     It can also help to brush up on the most recent plots and developments that you missed. Luckily, it’s easy to find them and thumb back through the New Features or poke the new attractions that popped up while you were gone.

     In sum, stick your nose into everything and don’t let that inspiration get away. But uh, keep an eye on your Neopoints and inventory, the likes of the Pant Devil and the Tax Beast won’t accept your quest for new ideas as an excuse to leave you alone.

     4. Sit down and write.

     This is probably the most difficult phase, but it will become immensely rewarding later. Once you have your idea/s or even a ghost of an idea, sit down in a comfortable chair, whip out your favourite pen and notebook (or open up your computer or typewriter, we’re not picky), and put that slippery little nutter onto paper, so to speak. I’m not saying you should throw editing and proper spelling and grammar out the window; just write normally, reread, edit, proofread, and rinse and repeat.

     If you’re not satisfied with your work, that’s an entirely normal part of the process. Read back, edit, proofread, and write again.

     Without this step, any ideas you pick up for stories or articles will only ever remain ideas, never shared with others or polished into another masterpiece. Ideas are great, but like a seed they must be watered if you want them to grow.

     5. Never give up.

     If steps one through four haven’t been very fruitful, don’t give up! Again, inspiration is extremely fickle. As long as you want to come back and write again, keep at it. Do not let anything stop you, not even a band of Meepits with stolen ray guns from Dr. Sloth’s stash.

     On second thought, you might want to at least find a way to get those ray guns out of their little pink paws.

     We can’t take back the time in which our wells of inspiration were dried out, or when we didn’t do a lot of writing. But what we have is the now, within our grasp. Chin up, and remember that the Neopian Times is waiting for you to rise up again, quill in hand, and ready to write your next glorious masterpiece.