How to Create a Mood Board
Dear Fellow Writer,
Today, I am sharing tips on how to build a mood board for your next bestselling novel. If you do not know what a mood board is, Merriam Webster defines a mood board as “a collection of images, fabrics, etc. assembled on a physical or digital board and used as aesthetic inspiration when planning the design of something.”
Mood boards have become an enjoyable and important step in my writing process. If there is a day I do not feel inspired, putting aesthetic photos and phrases together helps to get my brain going. A mood board can be created for an entire book, or it can be broken down into characters, settings, chapters, etc. And one of the greatest parts about a digital mood board is the ability to return in order to find that spark to write once again.
Instructions
First, create a Pinterest board or a photo album on your phone of inspiration for your project.
Second, search up key words on Pinterest or Google pertaining to the feel or genre of your book. My dream is to write and publish a fantasy book. When I created mood boards in the past, I would search up phrases like “aesthetic fantasy book” or “fantasy castle.” There are so many incredible photos and phrases that creators have put online that are ideal for inspiration.
When you find pictures that fit your novel, save these images to your Pinterest board or take screenshots for your camera roll. You can also include any pictures you took or saved over the years.
Fourth, there are two methods I would consider for compiling all of your images. Either you compile all of your images into Canva (which is what I typically do) or click the “Collage” button on your Pinterest board to create a mood board pin right on Pinterest (a newer feature I am looking forward to testing out)! If you go the Canva route, you can look up a free template to create your mood board or use a blank page and organize the images all yourself (I prefer option 2).
Last, save your finished work to your device, Pinterest, or print it out. Put this mood board in a place where you know you will click on often (like a Google Document with your book notes) or physically on your writing desk!
Sincerely,
Katie (a fellow writer)
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Sources: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mood%20board