When the Ideas Won’t Land: Reflections from a Birdwatching Writer

Great Egret, Huntington State Park in South Carolina

By Shannon Hurst | Gower Media

Some evenings, when the wind softens and the sun slips low, I drive out to Frank Lake. Binoculars in one hand, camera in the other, I scan the shoreline for American avocets, pelicans, and the occasional yellowlegs skimming the shallows. But truthfully? I go there as much for the wondering as the watching.

As a writer, one of my greatest struggles isn’t the writing itself, it’s finding the idea worth writing about. That spark. That starting point. And it turns out, birds have taught me more about that than any book ever has.

Pelicans at sunset, Frank Lake

Ideas Are Like Birds

If you’ve ever birdwatched, you know the best sightings happen when you're still. It's not about chasing through reeds and brush being what we call a bird plow, it’s about standing quietly, alert, open. Writing is like that too. Ideas don’t always respond to urgency. They arrive when there’s space.

I’ve had essay ideas land as pelicans glided in at dusk. I’ve solved structure problems while listening to the call of a distant grebe. And sometimes, I don’t “get” anything at all, except for a few good pictures, but I always leave with more clarity than I arrived with.

Yellow headed Blackbird

Where Inspiration Nests

Birds don’t settle where they don’t feel safe. Neither does creativity. That’s why I’ve learned to build nesting spaces in my life: an early morning notebook, long drives with no destination, and nights at the lake with just the sky and my thoughts.

If you’re feeling blocked, don’t force it. Instead, make your life a place where ideas feel welcome. Let them nest in quiet moments.

Northern Pintail, Frank Lake

The Ones That Migrate

Some ideas circle for weeks, even years, before they’re ready. I have drafts from five years ago that recently took flight again, newly relevant, newly understood. Just like migrating birds, inspiration has patterns. Let it come and go. Trust it will return.

I keep an “idea log” in a notebook my good friend gave me and a birding journal my dad gave me. Some entries are just one line. A title. A visual. A question. I don’t push. I just record.

Horned Grebe, Frank Lake

Feed What You Want to Attract

Birders put out seed to invite beauty closer. Writers can do the same. Feed your mind with new books, quiet walks, different landscapes. Spend time with curious people. Write even when it’s hard. The more consistently you show up, the more often inspiration will, too.

Short Eared Owl, Frank Lake

Final Thought from the Shore

I don’t always leave Frank Lake with a brilliant idea. Sometimes I leave with muddy shoes and 47 blurry bird photos. But I always feel tuned in. And that’s what matters.

Ideas don’t always swoop in like red-tailed hawks or short-eared owls. Sometimes they’re shy, like sandpipers. But they’re there. Watching. Waiting for you to stop flapping and just be.

✏️ Call to Action

Have you ever had a great idea while in nature or totally away from your screen?I’d love to hear where your best thoughts land. Share your story or tag me @gowermedia with your own “Frank Lake moment.”