Writing

Three steps to becoming more creative

CreativityMany people believe creativity is a trait you're born with. It's a gift. You either have it or you don't.

This is simply not true.

Each of us is creative. It's our natural state of being. As children, we don't hesitate to use our imagination in every aspect of life. We welcome creativity and embrace it as an integral part of who we are.

Unfortunately, too many of us stifle that sense of wonder and suppress our imaginations as we grow into adulthood. Caught up in the daily grind, we forget what it was like to be creative.

Even writers suffer from this problem on occasion. We get into a slump and begin to suspect we're not as creative as we once thought.

Today, I'm going to give you three simple steps for boosting your creativity. Follow these steps and you'll soon discover how easy it is to embrace your creative nature.

Step 1

Give yourself permission to be creative. Turn off the inner voice that says "I'm not a creative person."

This sounds like a simple thing to do, but it's the most challenging step. With creativity, mindset is everything. How you talk to yourself about being creative is nine tenths of the game. Your inner dialogue matters. From now on, make an effort to only allow thoughts that affirm your status as a creative individual.

Recognize creativity in everyday activities. Realize your creative nature is present at all times, not just when you're writing.

Step 2

Respect your muse. When you get an idea, don't immediately dismiss it or tell yourself "This idea stinks. Nobody is going to want to read this." If you tell yourself over and over again that your ideas stink, your muse will decide you don't appreciate its input. It will go into hibernation and the new ideas will stop coming.

Does this mean you have to pursue every story idea that pops into your head? No. It means you accept each idea as something worth considering.

Jot down every idea in your notebook or journal, or create an idea file on your computer and add a few notes about any new ideas that come to mind. I have a Word document named "Story Ideas" on my computer. Whenever I get a new idea, I open the file and add the details. I don't worry about whether the idea seems crazy or not. I can worry about that later when I'm deciding which ideas would make great stories. I also carry a pocket-sized notebook with me at all times for making notes about new story ideas, characters, scenes, or dialogue.

Step 3

Explore new situations. Eat something you've never eaten before. Visit new places. Listen to music from artists you're never heard of.

Get outside your comfort zone. Do things you wouldn't normally do. Go for a walk in the rain. Try an activity that intimidates you.

Feed your mind. Every new experience will nourish your creative soul.

{ 4 comments }

Using music to get in a writing mood

Musical notesIt takes being in the right mood to write a powerful scene, and music is the one thing that always puts me in that mood. Not just any music, but music that has already made it onto the big screen.

What better way to put yourself in the perfect mood to imagine vivid and intense scenes than to immerse yourself in a full orchestral film score that sweeps you off your feet?

A great score can add layers of tension, drama, and emotion to a film. Those same tension-inducing effects can impact your writing experience. For me, a few minutes of listening to the right film score is all it takes to trigger my mind to dream up scenes packed with visual imagery.

Whenever you're in doubt about how music can influence the feel of a scene, try muting the sound on your television and watching a few scenes minus the music. The difference can't be missed.

Here's a suggestion for those times when you just can't seem to get into the writing groove: Visit your local music store, Amazon.com, or the iTunes Store and pick up the CD or MP3 version of your favorite film score. Try to choose a film with the same mood or tone as the scenes you intend to write.

Sit back, close your eyes, and let the music wash over you for a while. Don't try to write anything yet. Just listen and imagine. Let your creativity go to work while the rest of you relaxes.

Allow your mind to wander and eventually you'll discover scenes forming there. Let those scenes unfold slowly and gradually as the music plays. Notice the impact the music has on how the scenes play out. The tone, the pacing, even the dialogue or action can be influenced, but more importantly, the visual imagery will be enhanced. From there, it's up to you to put that imagery into words.

If you use this method often enough, you'll discover you have favorite composers just as you have favorite rock bands. Each composer has his or her own sound, and you'll inevitably be drawn to some more than others. One of my favorites is Hans Zimmer, who composed the scores for Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and too many other films to list here. I've owned the Gladiator soundtrack since it was first released and I still haven't tired of listening to it. I play Trevor Morris' score from season 1 of The Tudors almost as often. There are plenty of other composers worth checking out: James Horner, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, and John Williams, to name a few.

Another favorite of mine is Justin Durban, a young composer who has created music for several independent films as well as movie trailers and video games. His music has the same rich, evocative quality as Zimmer's, and I predict he'll someday reach the same level of fame and popularity. You can download free MP3 versions of some of Justin's music on his web site.

How about you? What kind of music gets you in the mood to write?

{ 0 comments }

Better listening leads to better writing

While meeting with a friend for dinner a few weeks ago, I realized something important: I'm not a great listener. I don't like small-talk, so I have a difficult time staying focused when the conversation shifts into that territory. I try but it doesn't come naturally to me and if I don't make a concerted effort my mind wanders to other things.

Why is this important? Because being a good listener can make you a better writer.

If you don't listen to how people talk and pay attention to what they say, you'll have no foundation to help you write great dialogue or to develop characters with depth.

Listening and dialogue

Good dialogue has a rhythm to it. It flows seamlessly from one line to the next. Your scenes won't stand out if you don't have the ability to recognize that rhythm and incorporate it into your dialogue.

Movie dialogue is a refined and polished version of everyday conversation. It's a distilled version of real-life speech. Before you can capture that essence and use it in your dialogue, you need to have a feel for how real people talk.

You also need to be alert for subtext, for the underlying significance and the difference between what people say versus what they really mean. You won't pick up on those cues if you're not actively listening.

Listening and character development

The more you listen, the more you'll learn about people, about how they think and feel. You can use what you learn to create multi-layered characters.

If you don't pay attention to real people, you're more likely to create one-dimensional characters. Real people have more than one defining characteristic. Spend more time listening and you'll start to peel back those layers and get to what's below the surface.

How to become a better listener

Here are four simple ways to improve your listening skills. I've been trying these techniques myself lately and they're already proving helpful.

1. Practice "focused listening"

Devote your full attention to what the other person is saying. Don't spend that time thinking about what you're going to say next, mentally compiling your to-do list, or daydreaming about your upcoming vacation.

Try not to get distracted. If you're conversing with someone in person, ignore your mobile phone and keep your mind on the conversation. Pay attention to the person you're with. If you're chatting via telephone, sit in a place where your attention won't be easily diverted to something else.

2. Listen more than you talk

Practice the 3-to-1 rule. Spend three times as much time listening as you spend talking.

Writers are storytellers. Talking is a form of storytelling, and sometimes it's difficult to resist that impulse. Do your best to set aside the urge to talk.

3. Ask questions

In order to ask relevant questions, you need to pay attention to what the other person is saying. If you're not listening, you won't know what to ask. So, by making an effort to ask more questions in every conversation, you'll automatically increase the amount of attention you give to the other person.

Ask open-ended questions, not questions that can be answered with a yes-or-no response.

4. Take your time

We're so conditioned to fear the potential for awkward silences that we often rush to fill any silence with words. Instead, slow down. Listen to the other person. When she's done speaking, take a moment to gather your thoughts before you begin to talk.

By consciously allowing this time for thinking before speaking, you'll cut down on the amount of time you spend contemplating what you're going to say next when you should be listening instead.

{ 4 comments }

How to form a daily writing habit

In my quest to become a better writer, I've taken classes, read dozens of how-to books, kept a journal, and joined local and online writing groups. After all this time, I've learned there is one habit that will improve your writing more than any other:

Write every day.

It seems so simple, yet any writer knows it's rarely as easy as it sounds. You come up with excuses -- you don't have enough spare time, the laundry needs to be done, you need to organize the files on your hard drive, you're tired after a long day at work -- and you tell yourself you'll write something tomorrow. And when tomorrow rolls around, you come up with new excuses to justify why you aren't writing.

Believe me, I've been there. I've also discovered the biggest drawback to that mindset: The longer you go without writing, the harder it is to get back to it.

If you don't write regularly, the words dry up. The blank page becomes even more intimidating than it already was. The longer you put off writing, the more your talent and skills will atrophy.

The self-loathing also kicks in and you start hating yourself for not writing. You sink further into a pit of despair and doubt. You're frustrated and maybe even depressed, so you don't feel like writing, which means another day goes by and the frustration and self-loathing grows stronger. This cycle continues, feeding on itself and intensifying, until eventually one of two things happens. You give up altogether and set aside your dream of being a writer, or you sit your ass down and write something.

Here are a few things you can do to ditch the despair and develop a daily writing habit you'll actually stick to:

Stop waiting to feel motivated to write

I used to think I lacked motivation, until I realized motivation isn't some mystical force the universe bestows on those who are worthy. Don't wait around for motivation. It isn't going to arrive on its own. In fact, stop thinking of motivation as a necessary condition for writing.

Instead, think of writing as something you're required to do every day, like eating, sleeping, or brushing your teeth. You don't need to be motivated to do those things. You just accept them as part of your day.

Stop waiting for inspiration

William Faulkner once said, "I write only when I'm inspired. Fortunately I'm inspired at 9 o’clock every morning." It's tough to find a better way to convey that point.

Write something every day, whether you feel creative or not. If you're staring at a blank page and nothing comes to mind, write about how you're staring at a blank page and nothing is coming to mind. Write a description of the room you're sitting in. Write about your plans for the day. Just write something. After you've been writing for a few minutes, the resistance will break down and the words will start to flow.

Find ways to remind yourself to write

Keep the idea of writing always in the forefront of your mind. Stick post-it notes in prominent places -- the bathroom mirror, your computer monitor, the refrigerator door, and anywhere else you're guaranteed to see them. Change your reminders every few weeks. If you don't, they'll become part of the scenery and you'll stop noticing them.

Place a note in your wallet where you'll see it every time you reach for money or your credit card.

Use a site like HassleMe to send yourself automated reminders via email to write something every day.

Work on your self-discipline, but be gentle

Start with something small. Write for five minutes every day, or write one paragraph each day, or write 100 words per day. Create a goal that's easy to meet. Every time you meet your goal, you'll feel like you've accomplished something worthwhile. This will keep you coming back for more.

Build up to one hour per day, or one page per day, or 500 words per day, but do it gradually. Don't push yourself too quickly to set higher goals. Wait until you've met or exceeded your current goal for at least a few weeks or more before you set a new goal.

Don't hate yourself if you don't meet your goals. Forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Research indicates self-blame is counterproductive and you’ll procrastinate less if you forgive yourself. Remember what I said earlier about self-loathing? It's a vicious cycle, and if you're not careful it can spiral out of control. You can end the cycle by putting the past behind you and focusing on the writing you're going to do today.

{ 6 comments }

Giving yourself the freedom to fail

Fear of failure is something that keeps many people from writing. They dream of being published but hold back because they're afraid their writing isn't good enough. They worry other people will read it and think it sucks.

Sometimes this fear is enough to stop a writer from sending her manuscript out to agents and publishers. Sometimes it's enough to stop her from writing anything at all.

In my experience, there is only one surefire way to overcome this fear -- give yourself the freedom to fail.

Give yourself permission to suck. In fact, don't just give yourself permission. Expect your first draft to suck. That's why it’s called the first draft -- because it's the first in a planned series of drafts, each hopefully better than the last. Even bestselling authors don't turn out perfect prose on their first try.

One screenwriter I know refers to her first draft as the "vomit draft", nicknamed as such because the process involves spewing forth the words as quickly as possible without letting the messiness of it all slow you down.

Give yourself the freedom to write crappy material. Don't worry about how it sounds. Don't worry about grammar or spelling errors. Don't worry about anything other than the fact that if you don't try, you'll never know. If you don't write, you'll never publish that novel. You'll never sell that screenplay. You'll grow old thinking and wishing about what you could have done.

Turn off your internal editor and just get the words on paper.

This is more difficult than it sounds. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your internal editor just won't shut up. When that happens, take a five-minute break and have a friendly little chat with it. Tell it you value its opinion, you're grateful for its help, and very soon it will have its time in the spotlight, but at the moment your goal is to give it some words to play with later. The operative word here is "later". Not now, when your only objective is to get through the first draft.

So don't just give yourself permission to write badly. Plan it. Tell yourself, "This draft is going to stink, and that's perfectly fine with me." When your first draft is finished, it probably won't stink nearly as much as you expected it to, but if it really does stink, that's okay. It's a learning experience. Every chapter, scene, and draft is one more step along the path.

If you give yourself the freedom to fail, every page you write will bring you closer to success.

{ 2 comments }

How to Create Realistic Characters With Depth

Clustering is a simple brainstorming method you can use in a variety of ways. Its biggest benefit is that it helps you push past your analytical mind and reach into your subconscious mind for ideas that resonate on a deeper level. A single clustering session can produce dozens of great ideas.

In The New Diary, where I first encountered the technique a few years ago, author Tristine Rainer presents clustering as a journaling method for personal transformation. In the How To Think Sideways course, we used clustering to explore ourselves via a process that generated a wealth of material to mine later for story ideas.

The potential applications for clustering are numerous, but today I'm going to describe how I've been using the technique to develop realistic characters with depth. [click to read more]

{ 13 comments }

Six Techniques to Help Writers Overcome Procrastination

I've come to the conclusion I truly deserve to be crowned Queen of Procrastination. Procrastination is a big kingdom — especially with so many writers taking up residence there so often — so Queen of Procrastination is a title one would expect me to be proud of, yet somehow I don't feel quite as proud as I should. Instead, I'm burdened with the weight of the lurking feeling of guilt one gets after living in Procrastination far too long, which brings me to the topic of this entry: how to move away from Procrastination and into the much more rewarding place I like to call the Writing Zone.

The Writing Zone is a beautiful, magical place. It fills us with a vibrant excitement that gets our blood pumping and our skin tingling. It puts us on a high unlike any other. It's a powerfully addictive drug, only without all the messiness and legal problems.

Think back to the last time you wrote an incredible scene, a scene that just flowed from your mind and through your fingers onto the page. Think of how [click to read more]

{ 4 comments }

The Unnecessary “That”

While working as a freelance script consultant, it was my job to help writers raise the quality of their writing to the highest level attainable. In the course of any given day, I came across a problem appearing in each of the scripts crossing my desk, and I have since noticed the same problem cropping up in book after book.

The problem? The unnecessary "that."

It is a wonder how one little word could worm its way so firmly into the hearts and minds of writers, yet the word "that" has done just . . . well, that.

The word "that" has become ingrained in our daily vocabulary, and many people have difficulty recognizing how often it is misused. It pops up in sentence upon sentence, yet nine times out of ten it is not needed. In a screenplay or manuscript, where space is limited and every inch of text is precious, unnecessary words are a death sentence.

Consider the [click to read more]

{ 7 comments }

“How To Think Sideways” course for writers

If you are an aspiring writer, you need to check out Holly Lisle's new writing course, How To Think Sideways: Career Survival School for Writers. It is a six-month class offered entirely online, and it covers an immense range of material. One of the students even referred to it as "grad school for writers", and I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment. The course is perfect not just for novelists but for screenwriters as well.

I can't recommend this course highly enough. There is nothing else out there like it. It will change the way you think about writing, and it will change how you think about yourself as a writer. It is incredibly motivating. The lessons are interesting and thought-provoking, and the techniques are practical and useful no matter your writing style. There's something for everyone. The sheer volume of information offered in this class could fill a library of how-to books about writing, publishing, and marketing.

Here are a few of the things you'll [click to read more]

{ 0 comments }

Writer’s Block Cure #1

In my last entry, I described my personal experience with writer's block. I had an abundance of story ideas but I froze every time I faced a blank page. I couldn't even start writing, let alone complete a chapter or a whole novel or screenplay.

There are two types of writer's block. Writers who experience the first type suffer from a lack of ideas. Writers dealing with the second type have no shortage of ideas but suffer from an inability to get into the flow of writing.

This technique is intended for writers bogged down by the second type of writer's block. It's a trick I learned a couple of years ago but at the time I thought it sounded a bit silly. It seems to work well for me now that I've given it a fair chance. Give it a try. It will help you get the words flowing again.

Step 1

Grab one of your favorite books, preferably in the same genre as the story you're trying to write. You'll only need the first two to six pages, so if you don't have a copy of the book handy, feel free to select an excerpt from the author's web site and [click to read more]

{ 2 comments }

← Previous Entries