In my day-to-day life, my enthusiasm for writing occasionally wanes. I need a pep talk to help me keep working. When I had a regular critique group, our weekly sessions served that purpose well. But for a number of reasons, I don’t have one now, and I have to look elsewhere for encouragement. What about you? Do you ever long for someone to infuse you with writing inspiration?

Lucky for us 21^st century writers, we have YouTube and TED talks. Here are some excellent ones for writers.

Julia Friedman on keeping a journal:

Chandler Bolt on how and why to write your book’s first draft this weekend:

Anna Brekken on being more creative in your writing:

Freya Wright Brough on extreme writing:

Ann Morgan on why stories matter:

Tom McRae on 7 Truths of [Song]writing:

Jacqueline Woodson on reading slowly: