Have you ever found yourself struggling with creative writing tasks? Do you wonder what would happen if you put your mind to it and actually started writing?
If so, then this blog post is for you. We will walk you through the creative process so that you can become more confident in your abilities and enjoy the art that comes from your fingertips.
Before we begin, it is important to note that there is no exact formula for creative writing. However, there are some tried and tested ways of working that can help you find inspiration and complete your tasks with ease. Take a look and see if anything stands out as being particularly helpful. Then, you can apply it to your own creative workflow and begin to feel more confident in your abilities.
Start With A Plan
As a writer, you will no doubt be used to starting projects without much planning and then working on them as you go along. This is something that will serve you well when it comes to creative writing as well. You do not have to plan out every little detail of your story upfront. Instead, you can use a planner or a notebook to jot down a few ideas about the story that has been haunting you. Do not worry about making your plot perfect – as long as you have a good starting point, you can always work on refining it as you go. This will only serve to make your story more interesting.
At this point, you do not even need to know what exactly is going to happen in your story. For the sake of your own sanity, try not to think about how the events of your story will play out exactly. Instead, make a note of the themes that you want your story to focus on and use this to shape your plot. For example, if you feel that your current story does not feature enough romance, you can always add some humorous interactions between the characters to bring a smile to your readers’ faces. Of course, this is always a personal choice and does not mean that you will lose artistic integrity if you choose to be more realistic or dramatic in your story.
Get Inspired
Whether you write in a journal or not, everyone has a vivid imagination and there are countless ideas running around in our heads. When it comes to creative writing, it can be difficult to find the inspiration that you need to get started. This is why it is good practice to get into the habit of constantly jotting down ideas and scraps of prose that you come across. You will find that this will often spark off ideas that you could use in your own work.
Journal writing serves a double duty here. Not only does it help you find the inspiration that you need to get started on your creative writing tasks, but it also allows you to experiment with new styles and tones as you go along. You do not need to wait for a large block of time to sit down and get inspired. Instead, you can often get inspiration while doing other things. For example, if you feel that your story could use a change of pace, you can use a different tone when journaling or daydreaming about your characters. This will often give you fresh ideas that you can use in your creative writing tasks. If you want to find out if a particular scene or line of dialogue works, you can write it down and use it alongside other ideas to help you find the best possible solution.
It is important to note here that having an idea for a story does not necessarily mean that you will automatically become a fantastic writer. There are countless ordinary people who have had the ideas for great fiction stories. However, these people lacked the skills to turn their ideas into something worthwhile. Creative writing is a very demanding field and you need to put in the practice to get better at it. Therefore, while it is always great to have ideas for stories, it is equally important to focus on the craft in order to make your stories unique and worthwhile works of fiction. Always remember: good writing is not an instant magic wand that will turn you into a successful professional when you wave it over your manuscript.
Developing Ideas Into Art
In a nutshell, the creative writing process is all about stripping away the dull parts of your story so that the essential elements shine through. The story that you pitch to your agent, editor, or readers should not be littered with unnecessary words and details that do not contribute to the central idea. When it comes to creative writing, your aim is to pull the reader into your world and make them see, hear, and feel what is happening as you write. Therefore, it is very important to develop the artistry and skill of turning your ideas into solid prose. Even if you use the tools of professionals, your aim should be to find the simplicity and clarity that comes from within yourself.
As a writer, you will no doubt be used to writing with the aid of a dictionary, thesaurus, and maybe even a thesaurus pro. While these are all very useful tools, it is easy to let your imagination run away with you and write without checking your words against an external source. This is something that can hinder your creative writing process. As much as possible, you should be writing things from your own head and putting them onto the page without relying on any outside sources for meaning or definitions. Even if you are writing in a novel, it is still good practice to look up words and definitions that you do not know. Looking up words in a thesaurus will help you find the right ones to use and it will also give you a better understanding of the meaning behind the words you use. Of course, there will be exceptions to this rule – if a word has multiple meanings, you can often find them all in a thesaurus.
With this being said, it is important to note that there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to the creative writing process. Each story is different and there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to getting your ideas across. However, the more you know and the more you put in the practice, the better you will become at turning your ideas into something unique and worthwhile.