In case you’re wondering, creative writing is the branch of literature that involves coming up with stories and poems on your own initiative, rather than following a set of rules or following the guidance of a teacher.
This usually results in a more individual and unique take on the genre, so it’s a good fit for those who’ve had experience in the wilderness.
However, as appealing as this concept is, getting a full camp-fire story out of a tent and a sleeping mat isn’t necessarily practical. That’s why we’ve crafted this guide, which will teach you how to write creatively for a camping blog or website.
Step one: Choosing Your Campsite
As we’ve established above, creative writing is highly beneficial in regard to your health and well-being. However, the reverse isn’t necessarily true; you don’t want to put yourself in harm’s way, especially if the concept sounds like fun and games. One way of reducing your chances of being stranded is to choose a campsite that’s already established, and with a bit of research you can find out what sort of amenities are available. This way you can be sure that you’ll have everything you need, and that there’ll be someone around to help if you run into trouble. On the other hand, if you want to pitch a tent in the wilderness and sleep rough, your best bet is to bring along everything you need, including a first aid kit. This way, you’re less likely to get sick or injured, which would prevent you from writing. After all, you can’t write if you’re not well.
Step two: Set Up Camp
As we’ve established above, creative writing can be a useful tool in regard to your health and well-being. However, the reverse isn’t necessarily true; you don’t want to put yourself in harm’s way, especially if the concept sounds like fun and games. One way of reducing your chances of being stranded is to set up camp in a visible location, so that you’ll be able to make inquiries easily. This is especially important if you’re going alone, because it’s difficult to find help if you’re trapped in the wilderness and don’t know the territory. Setting up camp in a known place is also going to reduce your stress levels, as you won’t be scrambling for survival in the dark, in unknown locations. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially if the latter applies to a writing assignment.
Step three: Research Your Background
In creative writing, a common theme is journeying to a different place or time. This is something that excites readers, because it provides them with an additional dimension to the story. In order to make this journey relatable, you need to ground the reader in the reality of what they’re experiencing. For instance, if you’re writing about a walk in the wilderness, your role as the author is to bring the reader along with you on this journey. One way of doing this is by establishing the location you’re walking to, as this will make it more real. If you don’t know the area, do some research online before you go. This way you’ll have an idea of what to expect.
Step four: Start Writing
If you’ve set up camp and started your research, you’re ready to start writing. The next step is to grab a notebook and begin documenting your experiences. Bear in mind that you’re on holiday so you might get an idea for a story or poem, but you’re under no obligation to write anything. Your only obligation is to write down what you saw, experienced and heard while in the wilderness. If you keep a notebook by your bedside, it’ll be easy for you to jot down ideas as they come to you in the night. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time you write it down. Simply write the first thing that comes to mind, and once you’ve established a routine, you’ll find that the ideas begin to flow more quickly. You might not think that something you had in mind to write about would be interesting to other people, but sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that grow the most interest. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where the idea and the subject matter are neither too much nor too little, but just right.
Step five: Revise And Edit
Once you’ve finished writing, it’s time to go back and revise, and this is where some of the most valuable work comes in. The editing process involves going through your work and cutting out all the unnecessary material. The goal is to remove all the unnecessary fluff that wasn’t important to the story. At this point, you’ll also want to read your work aloud to yourself, and make any necessary changes. You don’t have to say everything you’ve written out loud, but it’s good practice to do so, as it makes any errors more apparent. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to spot any errors and inconsistencies, and make necessary changes accordingly. Don’t be afraid to change things around. After all, this is your story, and you’re the one who has to live with it after you’ve finished writing it. If you’re not happy with how your story is turning out, you have the opportunity to go back and revise it. Of course, this is something that needs to be done with care, as you don’t want to lose all your work, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time on it. The more you revise and edit, the better the story will be. Take your time with this stage, and don’t be afraid to go back and revise again. This is where the magic happens, so be patient.
Step six: Publish
Finally, after all the hard work comes the glorious part, which is publishing your work. When you’ve finally finished revising and editing your work, it’s time to send it out to the world. Depending on how long your story is, this stage can take a while. However, don’t be discouraged, because this is the point where the real work begins, as now you have something to show for all your efforts. When you’re finally ready to publish, go through your work one last time, make any necessary adjustments, and then hit the publish button. This is where the magic happens, so be patient.
As we’ve established above, creative writing can be a useful tool in regard to your health and well-being. However, the reverse isn’t necessarily true; you don’t want to put yourself in harm’s way, especially if the concept sounds like fun and games. One way of reducing your chances of being stranded is to choose a campsite that’s already established, and with a bit of research you can find out what sort of amenities are available. This way you can be sure that you’ll have everything you need, and that there’ll be someone around to help if you run into trouble. On the other hand, if you want to pitch a tent in the wilderness and sleep rough, your best bet is to bring along everything you need, including a first aid kit. This way, you’re less likely to get sick or injured, which would prevent you from writing. After all, you can’t write if you’re not well.