Creative writing can be a challenging subject, particularly if you are a beginner. Learning how to use time effectively in your writing is an essential tool to help you develop your skills and become a better writer.
Whether you are writing a novel, short story, or non-fiction piece, it’s important to consider how the different parts work together. In this blog post, we will discuss five tips on how to effectively use time in creative writing so you can produce a powerful story that grips the reader.
Cut Out Unnecessary Details
The first and most important rule of effective creative writing is to keep your reader in the forefront of your mind throughout the entire process. If you want your story to “jump off the page” and keep your reader turning the pages, you need to keep a clear and streamlined narrative line and eliminate all unnecessary details that get in the way of the storyteller. This means that you should avoid describing every little detail about your main character’s appearance, behavior, and actions.
Even minor details can be distracting and may shed light on something else that you could have used to better develop your story. For example, did your main character have an argument with a friend before the event that led to the story? Or did they experience a sudden fear of flying that resulted in them changing their travel plans at the last minute? By keeping these little details, you are showing the reader that you are very much a writer of reality, and not purely of imagination, which may make the story seem more real to them than you intend.
Dress The Part
Dressing the part is all about giving your character the appropriate appearance to match the narrative. In some stories, this could mean that your protagonist wears a disguise and doesn’t want to be recognized. In others, it might mean that the main character wears a formal wear to match the story’s setting or the event’s date. You should consider what your character would wear in real life and choose an outfit that will make him or her seem more believable.
For example, if you are writing about World War II and your main character is a Russian soldier, you should probably choose an outfit that will make them look more like a Russian soldier than a European one. Formal wear for men during that time period would typically include a shirt and a tie, plain or striped pants, a fur hat, and a leather coat. Your main character doesn’t want to be recognized, so they dress the part and choose an outfit that will help you understand what is going on inside their head.
Use The Proper Timing
Proper timing is all about using the right words at the right time in the right order. If you want your story to be effective, you need to consider how each sentence and each paragraph works together, and put each one in its proper place. This means that you should place all action-adventure scenes during the day, and all romantic scenes at night. It also depends on what tone you are trying to establish for your story. Is it a thrilling tale about an astronaut who has to fight to survive in space? Or is it a more emotional story about a woman who finds her true love while fighting for her life in a third-world country? You choose your words and craft your sentences with care so that they work together as a complete unit and create the appropriate atmosphere for your story.
To give you some inspiration as to what might be the “proper” timing for different situations, here are some examples:
- An action-adventure scene would go better if it took place during the day. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and people are walking, driving, and working outside. It can add a touch of realism to the scene because you are including the sounds of nature and the activity around you in real life.
- A romantic scene between two women could go better at night. It is usually associated with candles, wine, and music. There is also often a fire place where the women are seated and where they are talking, resulting in a “candlelight dinner” atmosphere. You might want to consider writing the scene at night when you are thinking about your main character’s romantic interest. It can help add to the emotional tension and make the scene more realistic.
- A scene of a man arguing with a pregnant woman could work better written during the day. The light is usually unflattering in these scenarios, which can help add to the drama of the scene as well.
- A scene of a man being bullied verbally can go better when written at night. The “bully” might be trying to provoke a reaction from the main character so that he can vent out his aggression. The scene might take place in a closed circle of people, with the main character as the center. This can also help establish a sense of solidarity between those involved in the scene. It can be effective to write a scene with more than one person involved, even if it is just between two people. This is called a “catty” scene, and it can help you better understand what is going on in their heads. In this case, the night writing time can be a good choice because it will help you better understand what the characters are feeling and thinking in the moment. It can also be helpful to write a scene with several characters involved. This can help create more complex interactions and bring new dimensions to the story. The more you write, the more you will understand what works best for your story and how to effectively use the times of day to your advantage.
- A scene between a father and his teenage daughter can work better when written at night. It can be difficult to write a scene with your main character’s parent, but it can make sense in terms of the overall theme of your story. If you want to establish a sense of betrayal or anger on the part of the parent, you can do so while writing this scene at night.
- The events in your story might unfold according to a specific order, so you should consider writing the introduction of your story first. This can help establish the overall theme and give the reader a sense of what is to come. It is usually best to start with the most interesting part of your story first, so the reader will not lose interest halfway through. If you follow this rule, you will effectively use the times of day to your advantage and produce a story that is as powerful as you can write.
Variety Of The Writing
Variety is all about using different words and phrases to describe the same thing. If you want your writing to “pop off the page” and catch the reader’s attention, use a variety of words and phrases to do so. This means that you can write about something in a variety of ways and use all of the available tools at your disposal. For example, instead of just writing “it was a stormy night,” you can choose to describe the dark clouds that were rolling in and how the wind was howling. You can use a variety of words and phrases to effectively use variety as a tool in your writing. This will make your writing seem more realistic and interesting.
Here’s a tip: Instead of just writing the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your story’s main concept, try to find a way to make it more original. Look for the “unspoken” or the “unlikely” things that could happen which would make your story more interesting. For example, did you write a love letter to someone you had a crush on in middle school? Have you ever tried to talk to someone you liked, but didn’t know how to approach? Have you ever been involved in a romantic triangle where you were the third or the “other” person involved?
You don’t need to have all of these experiences to create an original story. All you need is a desire to write and a mind that can imagine things. Once you have those two things, you can begin to put them together to create an original story that will inspire you.
Create A Powerful Opening
A powerful opening is all about grabbing the reader’s attention right from the get-go with an intriguing line or two. This is usually done by using the passive voice, as in the first line of Joyce Meyer’s blockbuster best seller “The Circle of Life”: “It was an ordinary day in an extraordinary place.”