The Power of Constraints: How Limitations Can Fuel Creativity in Writing
Discover how we can change from thinking it is impossible to thinking it is possible in writing.
For all of the competitive writers out there, I know that the coming words will probably resonate with you. How many times did you scratch your head when you were in a writing contest and given a criterion to write within a range of words? For instance, if you were to write a flash fiction in 100 words, I know you might be thinking right now that’s impossible! But still, there are writers who are able to do it. What’s the secret? How are they able to do it? Or perhaps they are just talented? But believe it or not, it is not about talent.
I know this might come as a surprise, but contrary to the popular belief that limiting writing diminishes our creativity, it can actually serve as a catalyst for us to be a lot more creative. Picture this: you are stuck in a room, and with you is a key to the door and a box cutter, but remember there are no other things in the room, only the walls and the door. Logically, you would go see the door first and try the key, but assume that you have tried it and you realized the key is not working.
Well, you have a box cutter, so you would probably sit there and think, How can I use this box cutter to get out of this room? You looked around, and there are no other ways that you can cut your way through; the walls are made of concrete, and even if it’s wooden, the box cutter is fragile and wouldn’t stand a chance — it will probably break, not even making it half-through. Can you now think of a solution for how you can get out of this room? Think hard.
Okay, now, whatever solution it is that you’ve come up with, I’m going to guess some of the ways you have probably thought of. Using the box cutter would actually work to make a makeshift screwdriver to unscrew the hinges, but if you’ve ever thought of kicking the door, congratulations! You are one of the most creative thinkers around. You see, in this case, I gave you the illusion of choice when I said you had the key and the box cutter.
Most people in this situation would wonder, “What should I do with the key and box cutter?”, “I have these, so one might be the solution.” But if you were one of the few who were able to reject this and come up with an “out-of-the-box-solution”, pun intended, such as kicking the door then give yourself a pat in the back, you smart cookie, notice that I’ve only mentioned that the walls are concrete except the door frame, which in this case is made out of fragile materials that can easily be broken.
You see, creativity is not just about knowing other ways to do something or coming up with a different version of solving a problem; rather, it’s about coming up with a new and novel idea or solution to an existing problem. And in writing, this existing problem can be coming up with ways to fit a fictional story into a 100-word limit, and it is our creativity that will help us come up with that.
Creativity is innovation rather than iteration or variation. It is developing novel ways to work out constraints in writing.
Understanding Constraints in Writing
Constraints in writing could be a word limit, as I mentioned earlier; however, let me expand on that. You see, in writing, specifically in competitive writing and academic writing, there can be some set limits and/or guidelines that need to be strictly followed in order for what you write to be accepted. For instance, if you are a college student, you already might be familiar with the proper paper formatting guidelines that your university requires you to follow, or in writing contests such as the example I’ve provided earlier, writing a flash fiction in 100 words.
And to further expand on what constraints really are in writing, think about speed writing competitions. The contestants do not only follow certain structures in writing and/or word limits but also by time. Limited time can also be a constraint in writing as it gives us a set timeframe to write as opposed to just writing freely. Basically, writing constraints are anything that limits our freedom in writing, something that can really make us think about how the writing can be done while adhering to the guidelines or how we can adjust our writing style to fit the demand.
Some of the most common misconceptions in writing are that when we are limited, or rather restricted, when there is something that restricts us from fully doing what we want to do with our writing, it stifles our creativity, but this is a wrong notion; it actually improves our creativity by forcing us to think creatively. This kind of thinking needs to be changed, and instead of thinking that it negatively affects our creativity, we should instead embrace constraints and keep in mind that it can help us further ourselves in writing, as it will not only improve how we write but also make us more adaptable to the changes.
Constraints do not necessarily limit our creativity; rather, they enhance it by making us think in innovative ways.
The Psychology Behind Creativity and Constraints
When we are faced with constraints, it actually has an effect on our cognitive functions, given that when we are restricted by something, it forces us to come up with ideas to circumvent that restriction or find ways to fit for it effectively. This shapes our problem-solving abilities as well as capability, which in turn will also enhance our decision-making processes, which in this context is in writing, but it could also be for any other creative endeavors that you may have. Moreover, as we have already discussed, because constraints force us to think creatively, it will help develop our ability to think innovatively, which could in turn guide us in exploring solutions.
In psychology, there’s a thing called cognitive flexibility, which refers to the mental ability to switch between different tasks as well as adjust one’s way of thinking and behavior in response to new, changing, or unplanned events simultaneously. In learning as well as in problem solving, cognitive flexibility is a key component of both learning and problem solving, as it allows an individual to adapt to various situations and see things from different perspectives. In this context, writing with constraints allows us to adapt our thinking and come up with innovative solutions.
Throughout history, there have been a lot of instances where ground-breaking work was brought up because of constraints. For instance, the Oulipo literary movement, whose name stands for “Ouvroir de littérature potentielle” or “Workshop of Potential Literature,” was founded in France in 1960. This movement aimed to explore new literary possibilities by imposing constraints or rules on writing. George Perec’s novel, titled “La Disparition” (“A Void”), is one of the famous examples of Oulipian constraint, as it was written entirely without the letter “e.”
Despite the challenges of the constraints that were imposed, his novel became one of the most celebrated works of literature, and his work just showcases that constraints don’t necessarily stagnate our creative flow; rather, they can further enhance it, leading to innovative and creative outcomes, such as in this context, in writing. Aside from this, there are other historical examples that we can reflect upon that have successfully utilized constraints to further enhance creativity in the latter parts of this article.
The psychological concept of cognitive flexibility, as well as one of history’s examples, the Oulipo movement, further affirms the truth that constraints do not stifle creativity.
Strategies for Embracing Constraints as Writers
As writers, some of us, if not most of us, especially those who are new to writing, may find it hard to write something with a limit. However, there are some ways in which we can mitigate this issue. One such approach is to change our mindset. Now that we have already touched on this earlier, we need to come back to it again just to really emphasize its significance in writing with constraints. For example, if we were to write a flash fiction in 100 words, we would initially feel restricted because, to us, it seems impossible; it is just a very tight word limit, and then we worry that we might not be able to convey a complete narrative.
However, this is the reason why we need a shift in our way of thinking. Instead of seeing the constraint as a limitation, we should instead view it as something that is a challenge — a creative challenge. Writers who have this kind of mindset are successful in writing with constraints because they are comfortable with brevity and embrace it as an opportunity to craft a concise and impactful story. When we reframe the constraint as an opportunity to experiment, we can do it, and we might even write the most amazing microfiction that really captivates readers — I mean, it could be possible!
Aside from that, there are also techniques that we can incorporate, such as freewriting. Now, what is freewriting? It refers to the practice of writing down all of the thoughts you may have without stopping or thinking about the spelling or grammar. Just let what you write flow freely; this can help with idea generation and writer’s block. If you have ever tried it, you’ll know how effective it is. I’ve personally tried it specifically when I am stuck writing, and it just helps me continue my writing by giving me ideas on what I might write next.
If you recall George Perec, that writer whom we have talked about in the section before this, who is the author of the novel “La Disparition,” well, it turns out, he’s not just one well-known and successful writer who was successful in writing within constraints. One such notable writer is Ernest Hemingway, who was well known for his minimalist writing style. His writings are usually characterized by conciseness and straightforward language. He has famously adhered to his self-imposed constraints in writing, such as only using short and simple sentences and avoiding adverbs and unnecessary adjectives.
In his novel “The Old Man and the Sea,” he has also welcomed the constraints to craft a powerful and evocative narrative. If you are curious about the novel, the story is about a fisherman who was on a journey to catch a giant marlin. Hemingway’s mastery of writing with constraints is evident in his work, because, despite the brevity, the novel that he wrote was very rich in symbolism as well as depth. This just goes to show that with practice and consistency, it will become easier for you gradually as you get used to it given time — working within constraints.
While writing with constraints can be significantly difficult, there are techniques that we can use, but ultimately it comes down to our mindset and how we think. We should see constraints as challenges or opportunities rather than a hindrance.
The Intersection of Constraints and Innovation
If you still recall the thought experiment that we did in the introductory part of this article, there we have seen how creativity can be our sort of, I guess we could refer to it now as our superpower, and we have already discussed how restrictions, limitations, or constraints in writing can actually do more positive things, such as its impact on our creativity, which further amplify it, as well as we can also reflect on the successful writers such as George Perec and Ernest Hemingway and their literary works. It is evident that when we are faced with constraints, it stimulates our mind, and we start to think of innovation and problem-solving in the writing process.
Aside from the Oulipo movement, which we have also discussed, there are plenty of other groundbreaking works that sprung up as a result of constraints. We already know about the novels “La Disparition” and “The Old Man and the Sea.” In addition to these, there is also a work by Christian Bök entitled “Eunoia,” in which in each chapter of the book he only uses one vowel. Another one is Raymond Queneau’s “Exercises de Style” (“Exercises in Style”), which is a collection of the same story written in 99 different styles. And lastly, this is even more mind-blowing: “Tree of Codes,” which is a novel by Jonathan Safran. It was created by physically cutting out words from another book, which is basically just like sculpting but with book.
It is now clear to us how limitations can inspire writers to actually push the boundaries of traditional narrative structures and create novel yet unexpected and inventive outcomes.
Overcoming Challenges and Finding Balance
Now that you know how constraints in writing can actually transform creativity, as well as mindset and technique, we should shift our focus now on the possible challenges and frustrations that we may face when writing, as with every other endeavor — specifically in this context, writing with constraints it is inevitable because it is something relatively new to us (except for those who are already good at it). Such challenges we may face include feeling restricted and frustration due to the need to adapt our writing style to fit the imposed constraints. Therefore, this just tells us that there’s a need to find a balance.
Again, this may come across as repetitive, but as we have discussed earlier in the section where we talked about the strategies for dealing with constraints in writing, one way we could address the challenges is by being flexible in our approach. It allows us to adapt our process to fit within the constraints, and we could also use a set of additional techniques such as brainstorming, collaboration, and revisiting initial ideas (which serve a similar purpose to freewriting). You can brainstorm ideas with your writer friends, or you can collaborate with them, both of which are equally beneficial.
It is important to find a balance between structure and creative freedom. For instance, I think that most of us already know Shakespeare. In his sonnets, which have a rigid structure consisting of 14 lines in iambic pentameter as well as specific rhyme schemes (I am already getting goosebumps just by writing this), he has demonstrated remarkable creative freedom within the constraints. He has used poetic devices such as metaphor, imagery, and wordplay in order to convey complex emotions and themes.
In summary, writing under constraints is not a negative thing, as contrary to the popular belief or notion that it might harm our creativity, it is actually beneficial, as we can see by the examples that are provided. Throughout our history, there have already been various notable figures in literature who have demonstrated that constraints are not a hindrance, which is further affirmed in their works where they have demonstrated creative, innovative, and novel ways to write. Constraints can serve as a powerful tool for us in enhancing our creativity in writing, and as we are closing on our article, as a writer to my fellow writers, we should start embracing constraints by now, and who knows what we may unlock in ourselves throughout the process? You might be the next George or Ernest.
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