Sometimes, Cheating Works

The best way to make really good writing is hard work, dedication, learning, and growing as a person and as a writer.  The fastest way to make really good writing is to cheat.

Cheating does not mean stealing.  Cheating means using shortcuts and tricks to replace brute force.  Creating ideas from nothing is difficult.  Sure, there are ways to find inspiration or to take the mundane and make it compelling, but it's a heck of a lot easier to simply not try to create ideas from nothing.

Talk with your friends.  Spit ideas back and forth.  Share writing with each other.  Swap stories and use that as the inspiration.

If you shirk the hard work, you may find yourself in a corner.  When you depend on others to help you create, you will be stuck when you're all alone.  Learning how to be independent means you will be able to be a writer anywhere, at any time, regardless of any other circumstances.

But as long as you are aware of what you are missing out on, you are free and clear to use the shortcuts.  People are not in short supply (although the finer ones do seem to have busier lives), so go ahead and let them help you create.  It's easy, fun, and still rewarding.