Are you one of those who have always wanted to write but when you put yourself in front of a blank paper you stay ... blank? Well, that has no choice. All you need is a good challenge that brings out the creativity you have inside. Let's help you to get stronger in your creative writing skills.
1. Practice with your favorite stories
Writing a fiction story from scratch is a challenge that many aspirants face uphill. So much so that most of them throw in the towel when they can't find that unique thing to write about.
The reality is that finding a good, original and unique idea is ... almost impossible. And the fact that everything has been invented for a long time is quite true. Sometimes it is more productive to focus on something simple, that resembles other things and strive for how to tell it, which is what can make a difference. A first step, like an essay, can be to borrow the plot of a book that you liked, or a movie or series.
You can temporarily take over their characters, the world in which they move and invent a new plot for them. Maybe a story in which the guy, in the end, doesn't get the girl, or one in which two thousand years have passed and they have woken up in the future.
The fact is that when you handle some familiar characters or a plot that you have already traveled it will be very easy to fill the pages. For example, what could you imagine a chapter friend ten years later? Then press the key and then upload it to the web fanfiction.net. There are millions of people reinventing stories, and many of them even end up published on paper.
2. Drawing
It may sound strange to you, but a good way to start writing is to draw. You don't have that you defend yourself by scribbling in the shape of a boy or a girl, enough. And it is that drawing comes very well to build characters, for example; This is how you make a more vivid image of them in your head.
Draw if they are tall or short, the hairstyle they wear, the style of clothing they wear and all those things that characterize them. Write your name in the heading of the drawing, and a kind of tag cloud with words that define them around them. So, when you start writing the story they star, you will not get any doubt about how they will behave.
You can also try to draw the world in which they move. For example, if your story happens in a place like Middle-earth, you can try to make a map, or draw the landscapes. And if your characters turn the pages in cities, neighborhoods, houses or other places that exist and know, draw them too. You will find it great to have a visual reference for those spaces in front of you as you write to fill in the details pages.
3. Write on social networks
The Internet has its own language, and each social network its dialect. For example, one hundred and forty characters of Twitter have shown that ingenuity has no limits.
The fact is that you can take advantage of this network to develop your creative writing. Follow the best within the genre in which you want to move, learn from them, find your style and put it into practice tweeting. Try also on Facebook, where you can even write notes, or on Instagram, where an image can give more strength to what you write. The fact is that you face the new media and its main feature: feedback. Take courage and the bull!
4. Write a diary
Yes, one like those you wrote as a teenager and kept at the bottom of the drawer with a lock that your little brother knew perfectly how to open. Well, the same as now does not have to have scented leaves ... In any case, the important thing is that you get back in touch with the paper, that if you are one of those who need to write, it will be a long time since you planted in front of something that is not tactile to write.
The reality is that in a notebook things look clearer. And what to write about? Well, about the same thing you wrote when acne was one of your biggest fears: your day today. At the same time, it seems to you that you do not have a lot of girls to collect in writing the things you have done, and more if you are one of those who have a daily routine.
But surely as the days go by your head begins to add phrases about what those things you are doing every day mean, and you dare to write them. Now you are older and what goes through your mind is usually much more important.
5. Train the dialogues
One of the most difficult things to learn (and teach) is how to write dialogues. And it is that writing down what is thought to go out of my mouth is a challenge that is often lost.
Phrases that do not sound natural, that are long, or too literary, are usually some of the most frequent mistakes. And to write dialogues that are heard real when reading them the first thing to do is assume that the dialogues in fiction are not real. That is, they sound real, but in reality, they are not.
There is a particular code when the characters of a book or a movie that we have all learned since childhood and that we assume as natural speech, but that does not mean that in real life we talk like this ... Where it is spoken that way is in the dubbing.
The fact is that you have a couple of options to work with the dialogues. One can be to choose a real person, from your environment, and listen to it as if you were a recorder. Write their particular expressions, the cadence with which they say the words ... In time you will have become their ventriloquist, and you can apply their language to any of the characters in your stories.
And another option is that you put on a series or a movie and look at how their characters speak, that if it is well done, each one will do it differently. You can imagine an imaginary WhatsApp group among their characters and rehearse their dialogues. The thing is that you are clear that to write dialogues you must have a narrative ear, and that must be trained.
6. Prohibit yourself from writing
One of the first things that couple therapists do when they receive in their consultations one of those marriages that are loved, but that does not touch much, is to ban them just what they no longer do.
The most behavioral of all makes them sign a contract in which they record that until the next session they will not be able to have sexual relations with their spouse, under any circumstances.
And what do most couples do then? Spend the week give it to you. Nothing like being banned from something to make you feel like doing it. Well, apply the same with writing! It will be phenomenal writing especially if you are one of those who start a thousand stories that never end. It is forbidden to write for a few days, a week, two, or even a month.
During that time, nothing, not a line. You will see how when the prohibition period is over you have a crazy desire to fill pages. And the best thing is that you will have to fill them, that you have had time to think about it and a lot of desire to accumulate.
7. Find your voice
One of the hardest things to find for writers is the voice. It is a particular sound that is heard with the reading of a text, and it is just what can help you to be unique as a writer.
That is because each of them has its own voice. And now you will be wondering if you have your voice as a writer ... Well, yes or no, but what you should know is that the voice is clearer as you keep quiet. While you find it, you can practice with the voice of others, to see how it looks.
Just as you can temporarily appropriate the characters or the world of a fictional story, You can take advantage of the voice of a writer or writer with whom you feel identified. Analyze their style, which makes them particularly attractive, and put their voice on your fingers, like when you start playing the guitar and do covers of songs of groups that you like. With time, surely you start to part with what is not with you and find your particular voice.
8. Share what you write
Most writers are shy by nature (not my case, really). Many write for years in secret, without letting anyone read a single line. Well, there comes a time in your career as a writer in which you have to answer this question: am I writing for myself or myself and my readers? If you are from the second, do not hesitate to share what you write.
You can try to pass it on to your partner, friends, or a family member (try to be objective, so avoid your mother). Although the best way to share and get an objective response is to upload it to the Internet, which everyone can say there. You can open a blog, with your name or in an anonymous way, and move it through the networks.
Or if you have a more romantic spirit you can leave pages written by you in the subway with an email address to be written telling you what they thought. It takes a little courage because the answer you find is the same, but it can also be learned from that. And that is the important thing, learn.
9. Write my new book
Are you one of those who have always wanted to write but when you put yourself in front of a blank paper you stay... blank? Well, that has no choice. All you need is a good challenge that brings out the creativity you have inside.
Discovering New Sides
Sometimes life seems like a monotonous loop. The same old routine with no spice can make us feel stuck. It’s like eating the same flavor of ice cream every day. Initially, it tastes good, but over time, you might long for a new taste. Trying something new can be that ‘new flavor’ in our routine life. It's just like adding a dash of pepper to a bland soup, instantly enhancing its taste. And challenges? They are like the master chefs who know exactly how much pepper is right.
Fresh Starts
The beginning of any challenge is like standing at the threshold of a mystery house; you don’t know what lies ahead but the excitement is palpable. Your heartbeat races as you anticipate what might come next. This fresh start is like a refreshing morning breeze that brings with it endless opportunities.
Learning Through Play
A challenge is a game you play against your former self. Each attempt, whether successful or not, teaches you something valuable. Every fall helps you rise stronger. The learning in a challenge is fun, it’s experiential, and not monotonous or theoretical. Imagine playing a video game, you lose, you learn, you play again and you win. The thrill of overcoming a hurdle is joyful, and you become keen on facing the next.
Exploration of Abilities
You are an island full of treasures. Some treasures you are aware of, while some are buried deep waiting to be discovered. When you take up a challenge, you start exploring uncharted territories of your abilities. It’s surprising what you can find within yourself when you decide to step out of your comfort zone. This exploration is like finding a hidden pathway in a dense forest leading to a serene, beautiful clearing.
Growing Stronger
With each challenge you overcome, you grow a bit stronger, a bit more capable. It's like leveling up in a game. The experience you gain, the skills you hone, and the confidence you build during the process are unparalleled. The growth is not just outward but inward too. It nurtures a robust mental and emotional strength that becomes the armor you wear against future challenges.
Making Connections
A challenge often isn't a solitary endeavor. When you venture out, you meet others, who just like you, are keen on overcoming their limitations. These interactions lead to forming bonds that could last a lifetime. It’s like finding your tribe in a vast wilderness. Together, you laugh, you struggle, you overcome, and you grow. The connections made during a challenge add beautiful colors to the tapestry of your life.
The simplicity of a challenge is that it only requires a willing heart and a curious mind. So the next time you feel the monotony creeping in, pick a challenge, any challenge that piques your interest. You never know, it might lead to an adventure that adds a delightful chapter to the book of your life.
