At the end of every month, we are given a different time of the clock to write about. Is it still night? Is it still day? Is it midnight or is it noon? Perhaps, you have a special moment in your life that you want to commemorate in a creative way. Perhaps, you want to write about a clock that represents this moment. How many times has a clock stopped working as planned and you had to rewrite it? How many times has the alarm not gone off when you set it? How many times has the time just gone missing and you had to guess what time it was?
These are just some of the questions that may pop up in your head if you are thinking about writing about time. In a nutshell, here are some basic guidelines to follow:
Pick A Clock
In general, you want to pick a clock that is not overly sentimental. Something that you probably haven’t thought about in a long time but would still find important to write about. A clock that stopped working as intended probably speaks more about your own faults as a person rather than the object itself. On the flip side, a timepiece that has been around for a while and still works perfectly represents the passing of time and is more suitable for the purpose of creative writing prompts.
Start Small
When you are starting out, work your way up to a small clock. Test the waters with a few sentences about the time of day, or the weather, or the state of the art. Eventually, you can expand your work to cover larger clock movements.
Even though the passage of time is always a relevant topic, it is not easy to write about. The more you put into it, the better the results will be. If you want to write about time, then write about time. Don’t get so lost in your subject that you forget to put your own spin on it. A clock is just a clock is just a clock. But it can be so much more if you put your own spin on it. So, start small and work your way up. You can build on what you have written and go bigger and better later.
Make It Personal
When writing about time, it is important to make it personal. Just because the world is going to be ending in X amount of time, or just because a time bomb is ticking does not mean that you have to write in the third person. Yes, the topic of time is always relevant but it is not always easy to write about. There is always a way to make it more personal. You can write about a place or an event that is associated with this time of the year. You can also write about something that happened at this time in your life. Personalizing the topic will certainly give it more meaning. In general, try to make the topic more distinctive and easier to identify with. If you want to write about an obscure topic, make sure that you have enough details that your readers will understand what you are talking about. Make it lively and interesting. Make sure to put yourself in the story. Even if you are writing about something that happened to someone else, you should still imagine yourself in the role. Feel free to add characters to bring the story to life. If you want to make your writing stand out, put yourself in the story. Even if it is only for a short while. Make it personal. Make it yours.
Check The Glossary
For those of you who are just starting out, make sure to check the glossary of your language pack. There may be words that you use that are not familiar with. Even if you think that you are writing in English, there will always be words that you do not know. Learning new words will certainly help you create the right atmosphere. If you want to create a more exotic atmosphere, learn new words. The more you put in it, the better. When writing, never be afraid to use an unfamiliar word. You may end up using a word for which you have no other meaning, but it will certainly sound unique and will make your writing pop.
Use The Present Tense
Even though you want to write about the past, you should still use the present tense when writing about time. As mentioned before, the topic of time is always relevant, and using the present tense will always keep your work fresh and vibrant. If you want to write a historical piece, using the present tense will help you keep things lively and add a little bit of spice to your narrative. Present tense is always used for the following situations:
- To describe something that happened at this time
- To talk about something that is still happening
- To give advice or share opinions
- To ask questions
- To give orders
- To be in the past and discussing past events
- To be in the future and describing an event that will unfold
- To be in the past and describing an event that happened before this time
- To be in the future and describing an event that will happen after this time
So, when writing about time, we always want to use the present tense. Don’t ever say, “In the future…” Say, “Now is the time.” When you do this, you will find that the time flow of events comes alive and the whole piece begins to have a shape and a form. It becomes easier to follow and you will find that your writing flows smoothly. You will find that you are not distracted by too many details or unconnected ideas. Your writing will seem like an organic whole that forms a continuous story line. When you write in the present tense, you will find that your writing becomes more natural and almost improvisational in style. If you want to write something that is really enjoyable to read, write in the present tense.