Writer Problems #4: Inspiration

Writers rarely seem to choose when inspiration hits. It just walks in and will gladly leave. You have to seize it when it comes.
This is why, during our first year of university, our creative writing tutor urged us to keep a book and pen on us at all times.
This way, should inspiration hit, we were prepared to capture it. Unfortunately my inspiration always seems to hit at night time once I've crawled into bed and turned out the light. Five minutes later the greatest ideas hit and I have to apologise to my partner, turn the light on and pick up the pad and pencil that always sits at my bedside.
Thankfully this morning my brain decided to wake me with inspiration in the form of a dream so I started the day writing.

When are YOU most inspired?
Let me know in the comments section below.

Writer Problems #3: Creativity, Thou Art A Cruel Mistress!

One of my problems as a writer was that when I was younger I would always want to write, but I'd never know what to say when I had a pen in my hand or a computer before me. I would find myself struck down with the worst case of writers block.

Similarly I also had moments where I knew what to write in certain places, but there were large plotholes in my mind and I couldn't fathom them, or I wasn't excited enough about a story to write it.

However, as soon as I have a dissertation to finish/edit I suddenly have all the ideas for books and characters and all I want to do is spin beautiful fiction and get my ideas out, and writing down some notes turns into writing the first chapter and so essentially what I am saying is I have spent the past half hour not doing what I was supposed to.

Novel, go away. I'm busy with work. Come back and play next weekend and we can be best friends, I swear.

Creativity, thou art a cruel mistress.

Writer Problems #2

When I write stories and I'm looking for names for characters I usually use a baby name generator to come up with something when I cannot think of a name. I usually like a name that's interesting, something that stands out a little.

I recently got a Baby Name Generator app on my phone so when I'm writing on trains (I spend most of my life on trains) I can come up with character names if writing on my travels.

The only problem with this is the people I sit next to probably think I'm an expecting mother.
I'm curvy, sure, but not pregnant.
One time the woman saw me using the app and gave me an all-knowing smile and I was like "No... no no no, I'm not pregnant. No..."
It was a really awkward moment.

Writer Problems #1

Anyone else here an aspiring novelist? When writing I find the bit I want to get over and done real quick is picking a character name. I often like to try and use interesting names so I'll look for  inspiration on baby name generator type websites and pick a character name from there but HOLY CRAP. THE AMOUNT OF SHIT IT SUGGESTED THIS EVENING.

'Tiara Diamond'
'Lillie-Mae Daisie-Joy'
'Essence Arancia'
'Sybil Augusta'

internet, u kidin me? I wanted interesting but not that interesting.