Inspiration hits you when you least expect it.  You can find it everywhere: in people, place, history, events, your life.  Everywhere.  It starts out as a tiny thought and grows into a big though; before you know it you have a plot.  But right now, I want to talk about seeking inspiration.

So here are some inspirational exercises that could help YOU get inspired and finally get that plot done!

1. Be creepy.Spy, evesdrop and take lots of pictures.  Personally, I just snap shots without looking at them or deleting them, then go back a day later to review them.  Pictures can be very revealing.  Evesdropping can be fun, and you can make dialogue in your writing much more realistic.

2.  Prompts
Prompts can be fun to use!  You can write flash-fiction and post them on your blog, or on a website like figment.com! They have daily prompts as well as a way to post them, and a writing community!

3. Contests/Challenges
Contests like NaNoWriMo are a great for writing, because again, you have that online community and support with a nice goal! 750words is also an excellent website.  You write 750 words every day.

4. Read and Watch TV/Movies
What better place to find inspiration that the media?  I've been inspired by just quotes, scenes and concepts from TV and books.  It's interesting and fun at the same time.  It also gives you a new way to look at that movie you love; try and pick out the best parts of that movie and write about it.

5. Keep a Journal
This is one of the easiest ways to improve your writing and get inspiration.  Whether it's a journal on writing or your life, you can look back on it later and build on it.

6. Roleplay
This may sound off-putting to some of you, but it's a great character-building strategy.  Role-play on websites like figment.com and interact with other writers!

7. Learn History!
By reading or taking a class!  History is a great source of inspiration because it was all one big soap-opera!  Take plots from it, problems, even use a different era for your book.

8. Dreams
Keep a dream journal and write down your dreams as soon as you wake.  Sometimes you can look back at it and get an idea.  Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein from a dream and a bet.

9.  What if....
Fill in the blank.  This is the way I come up with most of my ideas!

10. Stalk Pinterest, Tumblr, Blogger, etc
Follow blogs/boards that you like.  You may find something hilarious on Tumblr, and something very deep on Pinterest.