Working writers can’t always wait to be inspired. Deadlines aren’t that patient.

But if you let it, lightening can strike. You could be anywhere: a steamy shower, a long walk, falling asleep, in the middle of the night. And wham, there it is, the lead you’ve been searching for. The perfect structure for that feature story. The idea for an article you just know your favorite editor will love.

I call these “aha” moments. For me, they normally come when I’m relaxed or letting my mind wander.

I was inspired to think about inspiration by an article in the July 28 issue of The New Yorker on the subject of insights and how people get them, “The Eureka Hunt: Where in our brains do insights come from?” by Jonah Lehrer. (When I checked today, this article was not online yet. I’ll make the link live when it is.)

In his story, Lehrer interviews a variety of scientists who study the brain and comes to some of the same conclusions that people who work in creative fields like writing have discovered intuitively: that if you walk away from a difficult problem your brain continues to tackle it and will come up with a solution when you least expect it; that being relaxed helps the brain do its thing; that the best time to work on creative endeavors is in the early morning when your mind is half-asleep but more open to new ideas than when you’re fully awake.

How do you get inspired?

For writers, words are our product. When writer’s block strikes, it’s like the factory shutting down. It’s especially bad news for freelance writers, because when the words don’t come, the checks don’t come either. So just like factories, we can’t afford a work – or a word – stoppage.

As a result, people use lots of tricks for getting over writer’s block. Free association. Googling a word to see what comes up. Starting an assignment in the middle then working back to the beginning. A hot shower or a long walk. Here’s what I suggest:

Focus – Before starting, ask yourself: Do I have a clear understanding of my topic? Do I know who I’m writing to? Do I know why I’m writing this: am I introducing a new topic, or advancing a story that’s already out there? Sometimes when you have trouble getting started it means you don’t have a firm grasp of what you’re writing about.

Verbalize – Pretend you’re having a conversation with a friend. Can you distill your topic into one easy-to-understand sentence? Can you say it out loud? If so, write it down and get started.

Break it down – Once you’ve got the what and why down, you’re ready to tackle the project. Do you know how long it has to be? If so, you can break the assignment into chunks: a 750-word story might need a 150- to 200-word intro, 450 words of content, and 50 to 100 words to wrap things up. If you can come up with the lead and nut graph, the rest of the text should follow. Or, outline points you need to hit, then go back and fill in with your supporting material.

Write it through – Sometimes if you’re stuck, it helps to write through an entire piece as fast as you can to get everything down without worrying about how detailed or polished it is. Then go back through to add facts, rewrite and refine.

Settle for good – It’s easy to get hung up on writing the best lead ever, or picking the perfect anecdote to illustrate a point. But at what cost? If your search for perfection keeps you from moving forward, it’s not worth it, especially if it means missing a deadline.

Use peak energy time – If you can afford to write during your most productive time of day, do it. If you’re a morning person, there’s nothing worse that trying to summon your creative energies at the end of the day when you’re brain dead. Instead, sit down at the computer the first thing in the morning when you’re thinking straight. If you’re a night owl, put those productive late-night hours to good use. Shut the door, ignore the TV, phone, email, etc., and pound away.

Forget about it - Stop consciously thinking about your article and let your subconscious take over. Inspiration could strike at any time. When it does, stop what you’re doing, grab a pen and paper or race to the computer.

Write all the time. It’s not always easy, but writing every day gets you into the groove, so when writer’s block strikes, you can dig your way out.