I am going to be honest with you: writing hasn’t been easy lately. I wish I could say there was some fancy explanation, but I think it comes down to boring, old resistance. You know, where you stare at the blank screen and words don’t come. You know, where all you hear is that inner voice that tells you that you are terrible. You know, where all you want to do is clean the house (which is your least favorite thing in the world).

Basically, we’ve all been there.

I finally broke it though.

How?

I watched Clueless.

I know what you might be thinking: How on earth does a teen movie help you break through your block?

It reminded me of what I wanted to write.

You see, when I was little, I was obsessed with the movie. I think I nearly broke the tape I watched it so many times (we are talking easily over fifty viewings). When I rewatched it, I practically knew the whole movie by heart and could recite most of the lines along with the characters.

For the longest time, I thought nothing really significant came from my rewatchings other than a deep love of the song “Tenderness” by General Public. 

I was wrong.

In case you didn’t know, Clueless is based on Emma by Jane Austen. Basically, the movie is absolutely genius because it updates an old story by placing it in a high school setting.

What do I write?

Novels that are updated old stories placed in a high school setting.

I never really made the connection until my writing retreat leader explained that my craving to watch Clueless was linked to the book I was currently creating. 

Just as Cher had an epiphany by a fountain, I had an epiphany in a car in the Hamptons. Clueless was integral to my development as a writer. If I hadn’t a 90s version of Emma, I might never have been inspired to write my 2017 version of a Greek myth. 

So what did I do when I was stuck? I went back to what inspired it all: Clueless. Watching Cher’s witty banter inspired me to write my own. Do you really think she would let me down? As if! 

What did you love as a child? I encourage you to go back to it for inspiration and the jumpstart you need. Also, please tell me about it in the comments below!