Authors of novels, poems, television and film scripts, songs and even advertisements make a living from their ideas turned into words. Always being innovative to write creatively is a real challenge, but there are ways to stimulate this side of you and avoid writer's block. This article will introduce you to a few to improve your creative writing skills.
Steps
Step 1. Read a lot
You know, good writers are first and foremost good readers. Not only will you have the opportunity to catch up on the latest news in your industry and evaluate the styles of other authors, but you will also be able to find ideas for your stories based on what you read in newspapers, magazines, books and online.
- Regularly reading a newspaper, magazine or website that publishes news can allow you to constantly absorb ideas for your stories, inspired by what is happening in the world. Some TV series, such as "Law & Order", take a cue from the recent headlines to write the plots and, according to one theory, the origin of Shakespearean Hamlet does nothing but mirror the life of King James I. You will have to change some elements of the original story for your fictionalized version.
- The works of others can also inspire you for your own stories. Several literary scholars have pointed out the influence of the Scandinavian legend of Amleth and the Roman story of Brutus on Hamlet. If you want a more modern example, just think of science fiction writer John Varley who took the title of his time travel story, “Millennium”, from a novel by another writer, Ben Bova. In addition, he used the titles of other books of the same genre to title the chapters of his work.
- You can also base a story or idea for an article on a quote. The classic "Star Trek" episode called "The Magnificence of the King", which is about the unmasking of a former dictator, who tries to atone for his mistakes by leading a theater troupe, takes its title from a passage from Hamlet: "The theater is the place where I find the magnificence of the king ".
Step 2. Imagine other results for a real life event
Take elements of news or something that happened to you or someone you know and consider how things would have turned out if the circumstances had been different. For example, if you remember persuading your mother not to go shopping before a severe storm hit your city (because you saw threatening clouds back from school), imagine what your life would have been like if she had left. and had been the victim of this natural catastrophe, which might have caused the supermarket to collapse.
Step 3. Observe the people
Go to a public place where you can watch people go in and out, such as a shopping mall, club, or auditorium. As you do this, start imagining stories about it, for example why someone walks into a certain store and what they will be thinking about. Based on facial expressions.
Step 4. Brainstorm for several ideas and create a story
You can do this in various ways.
- For a defined period of time. Set an alarm to sound after 5-15 minutes; write down any ideas that come to your mind before it expires.
- Based on a certain amount of ideas. Challenge yourself to write down a set number of ideas, for example 50 or 100. Keep writing them until you have achieved your goal. You can also take on the challenge of bringing this amount of ideas back into a set amount of time, provided you allow yourself enough to do so.
- Inventing a story starting from a randomly chosen element. Take the name of a person or a bed in a newspaper, phone book or elsewhere, then imagine what it would be like and describe the person's background (what job they do, who their friends and relatives are, what their aspirations are and fears) or the place (where it is, what is its history, how can you describe the nature of its inhabitants in general). Next, add a conflict factor, a problem that plagues this person or place that you have created. Build a story about what happens based on these elements.
- Try to understand what led to a certain result. Visualize a character whose veins swell with anger. Make a list of possible reasons why he is so angry. Choose the most interesting possibilities and delve into them, defining the event that triggered the anger and the personal events that led to it. Add more detail to each step until you have the right elements to write a story.
- Try to give yourself enough time and work hard enough to come up with a good amount of plausible ideas. In most brainstorming sessions, the first third of the ideas will be the worst and the last third the best.
- Whichever brainstorming method you use, don't stop on the way to evaluate the ideas you've generated before time runs out or you hit your goal. Only when you're done will you be able to review the lists you've created and choose the one that's right for you. You can also identify any related ideas and see if they open up other avenues.
Step 5. Try writing a different story
If you are having difficulty creating a particular story, try working on another, on a different part, or directly on another literary genre. A change of scenery could allow you to have original ideas for writing a text.
Step 6. Pretend to tell someone the story
Instead of writing the story right away, pretend you're talking to another person. The conversation can be started in your head, or you can record yourself. Write the results of this story on the page.
Step 7. Exercise
If you feel lethargic searching for new ideas, take a few minutes to exercise. You can move for the sake of it or get some housework done that requires some effort. When you are done, you will feel more awake and may be able to get ideas.
Step 8. Take a nap
If physical activity makes you feel worse, you may want to try sleeping. A nap of 30 minutes or less is all it takes to get you to rest and it may be enough for you to get an idea. Naps that last longer than 90 minutes could get you into REM sleep and give you the opportunity to dream about a story.
According to statements made on the 25th anniversary of the publication of the essay on the structure of benzene like a ring (1865), chemist Friedrich August Kekulé had daydreamed about a snake grabbing its tail, which inspired him to interpret his research. and to reach these conclusions
Step 9. Hang out with other writers
Spending time with other authors, whether it's by joining a group or a creative writing class, gives you the opportunity to exchange ideas with other people and receive their support. Another's point of view may be enough to encourage you to accept that idea that is hovering around your mind and that haunts you. You can also exchange ideas that you can't develop with those of others, so that everyone can write their own story.
Step 10. Document your experiences
Whether you do it through a log or a diary, remembering what happens to you in everyday life, in your relationships with others, in the places you visit and the events you attend gives you a resource to draw from whenever you need ideas for write a story. The more details you enter in the diary while you tell your experience, the more details you can get for the text you write, improving its credibility.
Step 11. Use ready-made ideas to start a story
These are pre-written settings or sentences that you can use as reference points to start writing. These exercises are done in writing courses, but you can also find them in the newsletters of the writing groups of which you are a member or online.
Advice
- Try to have a positive attitude when no new ideas come to mind. Writer's block becomes a real obstacle only if you allow it to happen.
- Make use of your dreams. If you have been dreaming of something interesting lately and you remember it vividly, write a few ideas on a paper and mix them with others in any way you like or see fit. This way, you will have guidelines for writing a story in the future.
- Try to have fun, life is not just work. Isaac Asimov wrote for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, and still found time to attend science fiction conventions that were held close to where he lived, kept in touch with his friends and flirted with women.
