What methods do experienced writers use to continually boost their creativity and maintain a fresh perspective in their writing?

I can answer for myself, but I’m sure that other writers share similar experiences.

Media such as music, pictures, and books. Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden influenced my Dying Sun setting. Pictures from Pinterest have helped me visualize certain characters or aspects of other stories I’ve written. I have one friend on FB and she always manages to find really cool pics that literally pops a flash fiction in my head, and I belt out a story in about 20 minutes. A writing prompt helped me with The Star of Creation, a story about a psychic detective who accidentally runs over and kills Thor, the God of Lightning. The children’s series Dragon Masters by Tracey West inspired a type of character in my Dying Sun stories called a Fellcaller, a person who has a strong connection with wolves and can befriend them (wolves in my setting are utterly evil). So media plays a role.

Real life experiences. I went to New Orleans and thought of a story with that place as a backdrop. Been working on researching its history, music, and culture, so I hope to have a completed novel in 2025. I used to live in San Francisco, CA and I wrote The Mark of the Spider, a horror / pulp noir piece set in SF.

News articles. A lot of the horrific abuse and monstrous acts I’ve been reading in the news shaped my story Fallen From the Stars. 🐺